The Rise of Order
by Autarch Predacon
Summary: Events in the realms have caused tears to other realities far different from whatever the kombatants have ever seen. And an ancient evil has returned to use this new world as he sees fit.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello everyone. This is a little idea I've been playing around with for a while. I've taken some liberties with the MK universe, mixing elements from both timelines to create a new one. Every question that might surface will be explained, don't worry.**_

_**Now, let's go on with the show.**_

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10:50 at night.

At that time a van was driving through downtown Vale with the only objective to reach a construction site. Inside the van were 4 people. 3 bodyguards and a 'VIP' of sorts. This VIP was none other than notorious crime lord, Roman Torchwick.

Although normally interested on new job opportunities, he did not like what this new "employer" used to communicate his intentions.

* * *

It was just a normal day in Roman's hideout. He was counting his money while his hired muscles moved crates and ran patrols. Neo was just on her scroll; whatever she was doing in it was none of his concern. Everything was just normal when he noticed that two of his men were asking questions to other henchmen until finally, they went to talk to Roman directly with a worried look on their face.

"Boss, we have a problem, Vin has gone missing!" One of the grunts told him as soon as he got next to the table.

Roman took in a long huff out of his cigar. When he breathed out, he then asked them "And who is he again?".

"He was on patrol with us, everything was fine when our shift started in the morning, but we lost contact with him 20 minutes ago. We thought he just got distracted at first, but when he didn't pick up after 5 minutes, we got worried and looked for him everywhere. He just… disappeared!".

Roman was not worried. If someone wanted to attack him, they would have taken out all the perimeter guards. "Relax, numb-skull. I'm sure he is fine. Lost track of time or something, though I'm sure to punish him for being-".

He was interrupted when a rocket came into the warehouse through one of the windows with a giant oval shaped object tied to end of it. All hell broke lose as the rocket's dangling additament crashed with crates, machines and furniture. The ordeal lasted for a whole minute until the rocket finally stopped and crashed on the ground.

All weapons were pointing at the package with a considerable distance being kept from the projectile. When they saw that the rocket remained still and did not explode, they saw that the object that hanged from it seemed to be a package with the message "answer it" written on it.

Before Roman could even start to wonder what that meant, a strange ringing sound was heard. Everyone checked their scrolls, but none was playing that sound. He then had a theory of what could be ringing, he looked at Neo and she understood.

She took out the blade out of her parasol and they both walked slowly towards the package. The ringing had stopped, but they were still standing next to it. Before Roman did anything, he checked with the grunts who went to look for the source of the rocket. Once he was sure that nothing and no one was found, he ordered Neo to cut it open.

She did so, and the content of the package left him with chills. It was one of his men. Tied up to an oxygen tank, unconscious but with a mask over his mouth. He was stripped of his coat and shoes, but retained the rest of his clothes.

"It's Vin!"

"Goodness, gracious; what happened to him!?" Screamed the two guys from before.

Gasps and murmurs could then be heard before everyone went silent when they heard the ringing from before. Roman Noticed then the glow coming from Vin's shirt-pocket. He gave Neo a look and then went to reach for whatever was ringing. Everyone calmed down when they saw a Scroll. Roman, however, did not.

The contact ID read "Please answer, Mr. Torchwick". He hated that he could not, for all that is valuable in the world, figure out who did that. None in Vale's underworld had the guts to pull that scheme, he was sure of it. He was ready to throw the letter away and begin a ruthless purge; but he did what every illogical man would do in a fit of rage: He answered the phone.

"Ah, good! You finally decided to answer". A deep, serious but charismatic voice talked from the other side "Mr. Torchwick, before you do something idiotic as to start a gang war; I suggest you go to the new hotel construction site in downtown, two days from now at 12:00 a.m. My employer really wants to meet you".

"Oh yeah! Sure, I don't see why not…" Roman answered sarcastically "I'd love to meet the man who is basically telling me to MOVE OUT OF MY TERRITORY! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE PULLING THAT CRAP ON ROMAN TORCHWICK!?"

The man on the other side of the line, though, was not altered in the least by Roman's outburst "He was alive, was he not? My employer wants nothing but secrecy. We will reveal ourselves to you in two days and you'll learn everything: Who we are, what we want, what we will require of you and all other questions you may have".

To say Roman was not interested even a little bit would be a lie. But what they did was inexcusable. "Really? And what if I refuse?" he asked with a cocky tone.

"Then perhaps the VPD would be interested to know about, I don't know, your more than one hundred warehouses all throughout the kingdom, money laundering businesses, all the aliases you use to move around… and those of the ice-cream girl?".

That scared him. All his empire crumbling was bad, but making Neo feel betrayed and not knowing who to direct her rage towards to? That was a risk to big.

"This is not a bluff, just in case you are wondering. I can assure you I've made my research on you and your associate. I'll say it again: Two days from now, construction site in downtown, 12:00 a.m.; bring her if it makes you feel safer, but I'll guaranty you that no violence will be needed. It's just business".

"Oh, and could I pretty-please know who is it that I am speaking to?".

"For now, Firefly will do". With those final words, the man hanged the phone. The scroll then shocked itself to never be used again, making the mysterious 'Firefly' impossible to locate.

"So… who was that boss?" Asked one of his henchmen.

Roman just took his cane by the base, hooked the leg of the grunt and threw him to the ground.

"Damn it! Get me a van and the least incompetent of you morons for Friday night. I have a meeting to attend to".

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"We have arrived boss" said the driver "And you should be careful, it looks like it's gonna rain". No sooner he spoke those words and a downpour began to fall.

"You idiots get down and be ready. I have some things to arrange first". As soon as the men left the van with their umbrellas, Roman began to make a mental checklist: his trusted Melodic Cudgel? Check. Guns strapped to his back and covered by his trench coat? Check. Two knives attached to each of his calfs? Check. Finally, he gave three knocks with his cane to the roof; and three seconds later, he heard two knocks separated by a second each.

"Good, Neo is ready too" Roman thought. He then opened the door and loudly proclaimed to his men: "OK, boys! Let's see what these imbecile wants". With that said, they all approached the sites' office, but as soon as Roman knocked once, the door just swung open.

Surprised to say the least, Roman was then boiling with anger as Hei 'Junior' Xiong laid on a dark-red leathered armed office chair looking his way.

"Well, well, well. Would you look at that? Looks like someone left the gossip business and now wants to join the big boys!" Roman yelled as he raised his cane ready to fire.

He would have also done it if it weren't for a set of claws and knife-heels resting next to his neck. Of course, If he came with Neo, why wouldn't he come with his twins?

"Easy there, firecracker" said the white one, Miltia.

"This little gag was not his idea" complemented her sister in red, Melanie.

"And neither was hers" Junior snapped in an annoyed tone while pointing further down the room.

Roman turned his head and felt confusion. "Lil' Miss Malachite?".

So it was. The chubby blond woman wearing a white shoulder-less dress shirt with a purple long skirt and a spider tattoo on her right shoulder sat across the table with her minions pointing their guns at Roman. "Well, well, well. Roman. So good to see ya' hun'…".

"Ok… this is good" Roman thought "She seems to have forgoten".

"I mean… what? Is stealing three tons of fire dust and leaving me at the mercy of the Atlas military really worth holding a grudge over!?" She punched the table at that last sentence. "But I guess it ain't as bad as you taking the illegal gun market at the border while I was rotting in jail!".

At this point Roman's men were already pointing guns. All hell would have broken loose if it weren't for Junior stepping between both sides. "Our host said no violence is needed, and I intend to keep it that way!".

"Out of mah way, big boy. Else you wanna roll out'a here a collinder. Boys, open-" she stopped mid-sentence when the twins, her own daughters pushed her by the shoulders to remain seated.

"No-".

"Fighting". The twins told her.

"Ok, what are opportunities for if not to be taken. Men!" Roman snapped his fingers; but nothing happened. "Uuuuh, hello. Can't you morons take a hint?".

"You should remember who the real boss of your people is, Roman" Junior interjected. Not in a mocking way, but a rather annoyed and serious way. "Whoever this 'Firefly' is, he means business. And I intend to see what he wants. Now let's just calm! The Hell! DOWN!".

An awkward silence was made, and a silent agreement reached. Roman and Junior took a seat and Roman said in a loud voice "Fiiiiine, we will not! Attack each other here now. But when this is over, it's game on".

"Fair enough…" responded Miss Malachite.

Time went on, and as soon as midnight was reached, at least another five bosses from crime syndicates from all over Remnant sat on the table. From Atlas smugglers, to mercenaries from Vacuo, a representative of the Mystral-Vale border cartel and Faunus gun smugglers. Everyone kept quiet, they were among allies and deadly foes; none daring to start a blood bath. Finally, Roman broke the silence.

"Now… I am sure in this little room we can find some of the most degenerate ruffians on the face of our big, big world, myself included" he said, "but Wouldn't this be the perfect holyday bonus for any cop out there?".

"I assure, no police officers are here" Everyone knew that voice. Firefly.

The door behind Miss Malachite opened slowly and from it emerged two figures: One was a young man in his early twenties; he had straight black hair with a small ponytail, wore a black chauffeur uniform with golden buttons and white gloves and on his hat was a blue square symbol. The second man was much taller and clearly the one in charge. He wore a dark turquoise suit with a deep black shirt and a yellow tie, his face was tanned and although he looked like he was 40, his shoulder-length hair was completely white; some of it held by a ponytail while the rest fell freely behind his ears and some over his shoulder.

"Never seen you around, so let me guess: The mysterious 'Firefly' right?" asked Roman.

The man looked at all of the people at the table and spoke in a deep and commanding voice "Indeed. But enough about secrets. You can call me Hotaru Taakoizu".

Some snickering could be heard from the guests with a little "isn't that a girl's name?" comment before the laughs died.

Clearly not amused, Hotaru continued "Let's get to the point. Shall we?" he began to walk, his chauffer behind him. "You are some of Remnant's most powerful members of the underworld. Gun smugglers, thieves, drug dealers and even more. However, you all have one common flaw: Your idiotic criminal egos".

This touched many nerves. Who did this little stick in the mud think he was? "Before you all start screaming at me because of how I dared insult you, I want you to consider the following: How many resources are you wasting just keeping the police, armies, even huntsmen off your tails? You could help each other out, but you all insist in sticking to number one. Stealing routes? Ruining merchandise? Blackmailing? And when you finally get to enjoy your profits, you just do it in the most insane and obvious ways possible. You call yourselves 'Organized Crime' when all of you are willing to throw all away for a miserable lien more than your adversaries".

"Raaaah! Enough!" yelled one of the Faunus smugglers slamming his fists on the table "If you made us come all the way just to insult us-" he stopped when Hotaru raised his hand asking him to stop.

"My apologies colleague. I got carried away". He adjusted his suit and continued "What I'm saying is that we can make business like the civilized men and women that we are. That! Is what our employer wants." While not in a friendly way, this at least turned all eyes towards him "my associate, Ryu Jin and I, work for a very powerful man. He wants to create the largest criminal empire, but we know this can only be achieved with all of your help".

"If this person is soooooo interested, then, where is he? And why should I take orders from him? How bad can this rookie be?" Asked Roman.

Ryu and Hotaru looked at each other, then back at Roman. "He… protects his identity a lot; but don't worry, you'll meet him in a moment. As for how bad he can be; let me assure you Mr. Torchwick…" Hotaru snapped his fingers and at that moment Ryu made as if he grabbed something or someone from behind him and threw it on the table. Shattering glass was heard, and Neo was now visible to all. She was not hurt, but she was just shocked at the fact that They both knew she was there "Not even Ryu could go a round against him." Everyone was silent, Neo stood up and looked at Roman who just motioned his head telling her to stand next to him. "Good, now let me introduce: My lord, Onaga".

The TV in the room turned on but only a white table could be seen. Suddenly the faunus present began to hear steps. It took a while before all could hear the booming steps and a silhouette could be seen. That of an enormous man sitting with only his yellow lizard like eyes glowing. Onaga spoke with a deep booming voice. "As my associates told you, if you all join me, I'll make all your profits triple by the end of the year. I'll be judge in case of foul play and even deals that go bad won't mean loses to you. I intend to launder all your money and shield you of authorities. The best in every field work for me, but I intend for you to work with me".

"What if we refuse?" A mercenary asked.

"Those who refuse already know too much, and death is to be expected. And those who refuse to join in the future…" He paused to make a small but terrifying laugh "will join. One way or another".

Silence was made once again. "How big are we talking about here?" asked Mrs. Malachite.

"The SDC? Will be a small ice shop in a year".

"The White Fang? Where do they fall in all of this?" asked another faunus smuggler.

"We are businessmen, not terrorists. I will not allow power hungry warmongers in my organization". Answered Onaga. "No further questions?" Everyone looked at each other, but no one said anything. "Good. Then who's in?"


	2. Chapter 2

**_Just as a side note here, in my perfect world Hotaru is voiced by Clancy Brown. See Lex Luthor (Superman: TAS or Justice League) or Silas (Transformers Prime)._**

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To say Cinder Fall was angry would be an understatement. Who did Roman think he was? She had every step for the fall of Beacon planned. The White Fang would use the dust Roman would steal in the next few months to blow up the walls of Vale and chaos would reign giving her enough time to find and kill Amber, claim the relic under Beacon, destroy the CCT tower and make everything easier to then find the other relics. But what did Roman do?

"Ok, this is my final shipment as stated by our verbal agreement. Hope you have fun with your little animals. Roman, out!"

"You what? Roman, this is not nearly enough what I need for my plan". Cinder objected.

"Sorry my dear, I know your 'End of the World' thing might sound convincing to some and the dough is very good. But a better deal just showed up with-" He then turned to face her directly. "And I am being kind here: better benefits which don't include 'move-your-opperations-to-the-nearest-non-Grimm-infested-capital' clauses".

"And WHO, should I ask, could change your mind so easily?" Anger showing in her face now.

He just stared at her, turned on a cigar and calmly replied "Nice, clean, doesn't yell and, I assure you, will be the next big name from here to the farthest moon-rock available up in space".

The last of the crates was dropped in the warehouse and Roman's men were already heading out. "For the love of- Roman! Junior will not book me anymore men. The incident with the red punk the other night won't happen again." Now she was growing desperate and irritated. "What am I supposed to do then?".

"Don't know, and honestly: Don't care. See you around!" With that last sentence, Roman dropped his cigar on the floor, jumped on his van and they all drove away; leaving Cinder, Mercury and Emerald alone. Cinder then started to breath heavily.

"Well… dibs on not telling Salem!"

"Mercury! This is serious. This is a huge setback; we might not make it to the festival". Emerald reprimanded.

"And what are we supposed to do? Keep it down and HOPE no one finds out all of Vale's underworld has abandoned us? We are not even at half of all the dust we need!" Cinder was losing it.

"Well… I… I'm sure Cinder has a plan!"

"Fiiiiine. What now boss?"

"AAAAAAAHHH!" Cinder yelled as fire emanated from her arms towards opposite ends of the warehouse. Once she calmed down and her breathing stabilized, she turned to her minions. "We have no choice but to tell Salem. Whatever Roman is planning with this big hotshot will surely fail and he'll come crawling back like the spineless worm he is. In the meantime, find dust robbers in other kingdoms if need be". She then started to walk away, if only to clear her head. Nonetheless, Cinder was terrified. Mercury had a point; they were way behind on dust. Their only short-term solution was the White Fang, but even then, they were not organized enough to pull dust heists on urban areas and making their presence known in Vale would be even worse. Her only hope was, indeed, for Roman's new associate to fail miserably sooner than later.

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_Breaking news on the financial world as Seido Industries wins the acquisition of new dust mines in Vaquo from the SDC. This is just the latest of victories the new conglomerate as the head of their legal team has this to say:_

_(A thin creepy looking middle-aged man with a thick accent appears on the screen with microphones surrounding him)._

_Indeed, we are happy, but not surprised by the ruling. The SDC had a bad deal, we had a good one._

_(the video the cuts to the news anchor again)._

_None of the experts from the SDC could be reached for comment and many even say the owner and CEO, Jacques Schnee, could be heard screaming at his legal team. Some speculate if this trend continues, the SDC might enter a financial crisis and would have to sell assets if only to begin layoffs on every level. For VNN, this is-_

_(The feed stops)_

Weiss let out a long sigh. This could only mean trouble. She disliked her father, yes. But she would rather have him fall than the company.

"Don't worry Weiss" Ruby tried to comfort her putting a hand over her shoulder "sure you might go broke and your entire family's legacy will go down with it but you'll… uh… have us!".

"Yeeeeesh, Rubes. Even I would feel bad after that pitch of yours" replied Yang.

The four members of team RWBY were currently on their room desk, watching the news report on Weiss' scroll. It had become a habit ever since a month ago.

Weiss' situation was no secret to team RWBY. It wasn't even a secret to Beacon academy or all of Remnant. Suddenly, a company comes out of nowhere and is slowly but surely taking money out of the SDC? Outrageous to some. Sure, taunting towards Weiss, the heir to the SDC, became somewhat regular, especially from teams like CRDL. Not only that, but paparazzi and alarmist journalists wanted to get a scoop on her. Most were kicked out by security and teachers. Others almost got compromising pictures or "interviews".

Her family was not safe either. Poor Winter was bombarded by them every time she wanted to leave a military base; Whitley confined himself to the mansion and had to avoid windows to prevent rumors from spreding.

"In the past, I might have felt happy for what is happening; but know that I would never celebrate your misfortune, Weiss" Blake also tried to comfort her.

Weiss let out another sigh. "Thanks girls. I honestly don't know how things could get worse for me".

There were three quick knocks on the door, it quickly swung open and in came Jaune. "Hey Weiss! Want to go to this fancy new restaurant in Vale? I got invites!".

Usually, Weiss would be annoyed by yet another flirting attempt by their friend's team leader. But this was neither the time nor the mood for her to simply ignore and walk away. "My family could be close to bankruptcy" she spoke softly while gritting her teeth, then she stood up "I am a joke to everyone in this school" she turned around and looked at him with killer eyes. "The last thing I need is for YOU to think I am in some sort of depressed state and try to woo me with an invitation to a cheap, ordinary, and infantile fad food joint!" She finally screamed.

Jaune was terrified and did not dare say anything as she just shut the door in his face. 3 seconds later and just as she turned around huffing and puffing, another set of knocks was heard. Enraged once again, she slammed the door open and was ready to deliver another rant but was stopped by Nora putting a finger on her lips. "What lover-boy here meant was if you AND your team wanted to go. You know, cheer you up!".

After a few seconds of silence to make sure Weiss was calmed down enough, Yang finally talked "Ok, what's the catch?".

"Na catch" Ren said, coming out of their own dormitory's door. "Jaune says Pyrrha has a new sponsor proposal and they agreed to talk it over dinner. He told us that she can bring relatives and friends, which is why Jaune was…" he was now looking at his team leader directly to the eyes "going to invite YOU and YOUR team. Right Jaune?".

Jaune blinked a few times "Uh, yeah! That's what I wanted. Not to use this meeting to hit on you. Pshhh, I am not that kind of guy. Using a gift from Pyrrha to hit on you while she makes big money" he let out an awkward laugh but soon realized everyone was looking at him in a not very amused way. "Uh, but still, ever since this whole thing started you've been getting grumpier and isolated; a time out in town would make you good. It's also not a fast food joint. Nice and fancy, just like you like it!".

It was true, maybe she did need a change of scenery. And she wouldn't be paying, that would be a first. "come on, bestie. It will be fuuuun." Ruby tried to sway her.

"Yeah! Let's hit it, girl!" Added Yang.

"It will be good for you". Blake said, ending her team's opinion on the subject.

Weiss let out a sigh, changed her pout into a small smile and finally agreed. "Fine, we'll go to this place". Just as everyone was cheering, Weiss spoke again "Wait! No! we can't". Everyone just looked at her puzzled. "In case you haven't noticed: I am a paparazzi magnet right now. I can't go anywhere without cameras pointing at us". She was right though. How could she have a relaxing evening if the same people blowing her situation were just going to pester her all night.

After some time, Nora had an idea "Don't worry white maiden! I got this!".

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"How on all that is sane did I allow you to do this, Nora? Oh, sorry, not just Nora; all of you!?".

The group of seven was now entering downtown Vale in their common cloths; except for Weiss. Nora's 'brilliant idea' was to use some of Beacon's drama club's props to hide Weiss. A black wig and red contact lenses, some foundation to hide her scar and give her a tanned look (ok, they didn't have her skin tone, so they covered all her face) clothes were tricky, though. She refused to wear spare clothes from her team but agreed to use one of Ruby's capes, a black dress was improvised with costume from the club and she had to wear black stockings (those and the cape would at least hide her exposed pale skin).

"Heeeey! I resent that" Nora exclaimed. "Need I remind you that not one journalist has approached you? And we've seen many!". That was true. Weiss was ready to return to Beacon once she stepped out of the Bullhead and saw all those eyes and lenses scanning who got out. But not one of them looked at her, she thought it was mostly because of how she was able to hide among other passengers, but once in the open? She felt like being watched. "Don't worry, besides, Ruby's formation idea is great. Fool proof!"

To keep Weiss out of sight, Ruby devised a formation that would last all the way until they reached the restaurant: Blake and Ren would cover the front and the back of the line respectively. Their senses and ninja-like abilities would allow them to detect unwanted attention and hidden cameras. Jaune, to her dislike, was on her right and covering her from the street view; since he was bigger than her, he would be hiding her from people on cars or the other sidewalk. Yang was in front of her, fulfilling the same role as Jaune while Nora and Ruby would be covering her back. They walked the closest possible to the apartments and stores just to keep her left covered at all time.

"Relax, Weiss-cream, it's only a few more blocks". Yang assured her.

"Oh, you can afford to be calm, Xiao-Long. You are not the one who is going to be ridiculed as a clown if they find me out. Besides, I thought you said this was a 'fancy' restaurant, Jaune; so how is it that we are going to enter?".

"Well, Pyrrha said that no special clothes were needed. In fact, it was almost as if she wanted to meet us there as soon as possible?".

"Wait, meet us?" asked Blake pointing at everyone in the group.

"Yeah! Well… She said apossible sponsor had told her she could bring any special guest or guests. So, I thought: Why not bring someone… others to have a great time while she talks business".

"Oh, Jaune". Ren just began to massage his temple.

"What? Oh, we are here! I can see Pyrrha!".

Surely enough they had arrived. A 20 stories hotel stood on the other sidewalk. Built from the most beautiful obsidian stone and called 'The Night Beetle'.

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Pyrrha was anxious. If everything went according to plan, this would be her first kind of date!

"Pyrrha!" Yes, Jaune! She could recognize that voice anywhere. She turned around, a big smile on her face "Jaune! You are here…" her emotion soon turned to confusion as she saw Ren and Nora running behind him "… With Ren… and Nora…".

"Yeah… we also brought RWBY with us". Well, so much for high hopes. "Oh… hi girls" she waved, and they all waved back. She then turned back to Jaune "Uh… Jaune, you do remember my call, right?".

"Yeah! You said that the sponsorship guy wanted to talk to you and that you could bring friends and I thought 'Yeah, I'll bring Ren and Nora, we are all friends; they are automatically invited, basically' but you also know how Weiss was feeling kind of down and being with her team makes her feel good so… yeah".

Weiss, of course. Nothing personal against her, she was a more than admirable huntress but… wait, Weiss!? "Jaune, Weiss is here?".

"Yes, is that a problem, Pyrr?"

"This hotel is owned by the Seido Industries!?" the black-haired girl who now Pyrrha identified as Weiss yelled while looking at her scroll.

Ok, yes. She was being a jerk for not trusting Jaune on the restaurant not having a dress code. So, once she got the name of the place, 'The Night Beetle', she looked for information on it; but once she saw who the owner was, boy was she mad.

"We are going to eat- mpphhh" Weiss' mouth was immediately covered by Blake once guests began to look at the young woman throwing a tantrum.

"Way to keep a low profile, Weiss-cream!" Yang whispered.

"Not only owned, but it also directly managed by the CEO". That deep but charming voice was not of any of the group of eight. They all turned to the entrance and found a fine-looking gentleman wearing a dark turquoise suit and white hair.

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_**Had the first two chapters done, but from now on I'll try to have updates once a week.**_


	3. Chapter 3

"Miss Nikos, so nice to finally meet you. Hotaru Taakoizu; CEO of Seido Industries and your host this evening" He reached out to hold Pyrrha's left hand and then put his right hand over it. His face, however, turned from a smile to a frown when he saw their companions. "I'm sorry, but we were not expecting so ma-" he paused mid-sentence and then looked back towards who they presumed to be his chauffer. "Never mind, your table has just been upgraded". He then told them, once again smiling.

He took them through the vestibule of the hotel. Many faunus bellhops wearing black pants and a turquoise double buttoned coat could be seen running in all directions while they made their way to the elevator; an old-fashioned lever operated one at that.

"Restaurant, Marin" Ordered Hotaru. The elevator's gate closed and started moving while also allowing them to see the hotel in all its grandeur. "Might not be modern and fast, but my lord believes in the power of the sight".

The elevator moved at an acceptable pace, but it would take some time before they got to the restaurant on the 20th floor.

"And do not worry Miss Schnee, I've ordered that all cameras and recording devices be left outside of the premises". They all were shocked. How did he know Weiss was here? "To clear your worries, the hotel is a space where guests don't have to worry about the outside world. I know these few weeks have been hard on you, but tonight my only interest is business and that our guests are happy" This calmed all a little, and Hotaru seemed to be a good enough guy.

Blake, however, decided to push a little further at something that bothered her "Noticed that there are only faunus working down there".

"Around 90% of the workers here are of faunus origin, yes. Some are part-timers from the slums or poor parts of the kingdom. And let me assure you, they are more than handsomely paid, with many benefits, may I add. Healthcare provider help with college education, daycare and study center for single parents and more. When, and if, they leave, they do it as members of society".

That did calm her. Nice place to say the least. The elevator was half-way through, and silence was starting to bother Yang. She was sandwiched between Ren and the chauffer, so she decided to break some ice. "So… you work here ponytail?" He just looked at her with glowing yellow eyes and crossed his arms before looking at the front once again. Yang almost gave up on him before noticing the broch on his hair. It was shaped like a circle with the head of a serpent dragon that had its mouth slightly shut and its forked tongue out. "Hey, cool broch, don't you think, Ren?".

Ren did not want to be dragged on to their conversation. For one, he could tell that the other guy was starting to get annoyed by Yang. None the less, he knew things would only get worse if he ignored her. "Yes… I guess".

"Oh, come on, be sincere; or I'm just gonna 'drag-on' this conversation with you".

A groan could be heard from most on the elevator before Hotaru finally talked. "My apologies, this is my assistant, Ryu Jin. He doesn't talk even before my master found him and took him under his tutelage. He now serves as my assistant".

"Pardon me, but why do you keep referring to your boss as 'Master'?" asked Blake. The more he said it, the more it sounded like he believed to be property of this Master of his.

"Ah, yes. Onaga is, in many aspects, a… person to whom we all in this company owe a lot. He inspires us in many ways and as such, we devote ourselves to his cause".

"So… a cult?" bluntly asked Nora.

"Oh, far from it miss. We are loyal to him, but not in a religious kind of way. The ideals behind of all what you see is shared by every worker. We don't work to please him, we do it because we want to build that world with him".

The elevator arrived at their destination and all ten people got out. The door was in the middle of a wall. A set of stairs led down to a common room filed with tables and the kitchen located in the distance. Stairs at either side of the elevator lead to more personal dining rooms; 12 in total. Each had walls made of different colored stones and decorated with golden figures representing animals.

"Mr. Onyx! Are the bull or snake rooms available?" Hotaru asked a what they all thought was the head waiter.

"Yes, Mr. Taakoizu, sir; but I thought you would use the dragon room lounge?"

"There has been a change of plans" He said with a less than delighted tone. "More guests than first thought". He stepped out of the way to show all eight teens to the man.

"Ok… the snake room will do then!". Mr. Onix then lead the way to the green room decorated with cobras. On the way there they passed the boar room and saw a lot of strange looking people just eating as if they were starving, making noises but never letting a piece of food touch the floor; literally, as soon as a chunk began to fall, they would act with unhuman reflexes and grab it before putting it on their mouths.

They all had thoughts on these peculiar people, but only Weiss had an opinion other than their eating habits and she wanted to express her concern. "Wait, that man on the end of the table… with the glasses and the blue suit… isn't he…?"

"Our head lawyer; yes. Good memory, Mrs. Schnee" Hotaru complemented. He then stood between them and the eating group and continued "They are all the highest-ranking Vice-chairs of our company. The head of law, accounting, marketing, communications, IT, etcetera".

He spoke highly of them; but something just looked off. They ´looked´ human; but on closer inspection their eyes seemed to turn orange once every now and then. Their clothes looked normal, but the combination of colors and styles were too tacky and out of date; almost as if they knew what clothes were but only used them for the essentials and not for looks. Their faces were also too sharp around the edges; pointy chins, noses and ears.

"If you must know, they are Naknada". Everyone looked at Hotaru with an even more questioning look "Naknada? The Naknada clan of Vacuo?" They still had the same puzzled look. Ryu exhaled loudly and massaged his eyelids while Hotaru continued. "An old clan of Vacuo. They were known because of their dedication. They believe in doing one thing in life and then perfecting that talent of theirs. Unfortunately, a warlord who cared for them died, and his successor was not fond of them. He would have killed them all, but lord Onaga gave them sanctuary. In exchange, they only need to work for him in his enterprise. They are hard workers and build quite the appetite".

"It's hard work…" a voice behind them with a thick strange accent said. They turned to find a tall, pale bald man wearing thick spectacles, a golden scarf, yellow pants and a green blazer. He had a weird smile that looked horrifying with his pointy nose and chin. "But the profit? More than worth it, children".

"This is my head accountant, Mr. Ko Naknada". They gave a friendly wave and he continued his way to the room, closing the door behind him.

"We are ready for you, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the snake room".

* * *

The snake room beautiful, to say the least. It had a fireplace shaped like a snake's head and special dust which gave it a green color. The lights were entirely round bulbs held by a thin cord. The table was of a normal rectangular shape, but the chairs were decorated as if to have the animals crawling on them.

Hotaru sat on the head of the table, next to him on either side were Pyrrha and Weiss, Jaune (less than subtly) sat next to Weiss while Ruby sat next to Pyrrha. Ren and Yang sat on Pyrrha's side while Nora and Blake did the same on the other side. Ryu just sat on a chair next to the door, looking at everyone.

The waiters entered the room and handed them their menus, but before they began to order Hotaru called for their attention. "as a gesture of gratitude to Miss Nikos and you, her guests, everything is on the house". Yang, Jaune and Nora cheered and immediately opened their menus.

"Hey! There are no pancakes here! What's the deal!?" Nora demanded angrily; much to Ren's embarrassment.

Puzzled, Hotaru answered her. "It's almost 8:00 pm… and that is a breakfast… we… don't serve breakfast… at night".

"… Ok, you get this round mister" She then returned to her menu.

"Alright! Cocktails all night long!" Cheered Yang.

"Sure. I'll just need your IDs to prove that you are of drinking age".

"Oh… well... you see…".

Unimpressed, Hotaru snapped his fingers and the waiters took the alcohol menus away from all.

"I'm sorry, but Vale's law on alcohol selling establishments clearly states that selling alcoholic beverages of any kind to people under the age of 18, no matter their place of origin, is illegal and punishable by the kingdom in all of its territory. You are free to ask for non-alcoholic beverages".

Defeated, Yang just pouted, placed her chin on the table and covered her face with the menu. A small "Party pooper" could be heard by Ren and her waiter.

"Oh, a double cheeseburger would be heavenly right now" Jaune said excitedly before being poked in the head by Weiss.

"You dolt! Do you really think they serve that in here?".

"Yu-hu! Page 5!" He raised his menu and… indeed, there it was. Cheeseburger with a side of onion rings.

Weiss was dumbfounded and just gave a deadpan look to Hotaru. He knew exactly what she was thinking and immediately gave her an answer "With all due respect Miss Schnee, my master is of humble beginnings. Sure, he now has money and class, but he began as common man. It is our belief that those who follow the rules should be rewarded. If you look at the tables downstairs, you'll find everyday people who will not be neglected just because they don't make the same money as you and I. The law applies to all, and those who follow it should be rewarded".

"It sounds like you respect your boss a lot. How did you meet?" Asked Ren.

"My story is sadly not that interesting. I was once a part of the government machine, served law enforcement and later part of the bureaucracy. I had relative power, influence and all the good things a normal person could have. But there was something lacking, a purpose. Long ago I returned a favor to a friend of mine and helped a town that that required his assistance. I liked putting that place in order, but some of my former… superiors felt it was wrong. Then I met lord Onaga, he was surprised by my hard work and made me his right-hand man. The rest is history".

Everyone made their orders, and as soon as the drinks arrived, they began to chatter on separate groups. "So, miss Nikos-".

"Pyrrha, please".

"Yes, of course. Pyrrha. As you know, we are interested in being your sponsors, however-" he was interrupted by a loud bang coming from the chimney.

After a few seconds of silence, most looks turned towards Yang. "Sorry! Made a bet that the fire would turn red with fire dust!" Hotaru grunted loudly and Ryu just moved towards her and took whatever was left of the red dust to then return to his post.

"Sorry about Yang, but trust me, she will behave". Pyrrha apologized.

After another grunt, Hotaru continued their conversation "I wouldn't know, really". He looked at all on the table and spoke again "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it was my understanding you only had one guest in mind when I made my offer".

"Yes… I… had… I told him exactly what you said, that I could bring a guest or more if that made me comfortable… and he said he understood… but I guess I did not explain what is it that I really meant…".

Her expression turned sad and he followed her gaze towards Jaune; more than distracted by Nora's story. "Ah, I see. Word of advice Pyrrha: whatever distracts you from your path, is a weakness".

That came out of the blue. "Uh… what is that supposed to mean?".

"You are a great warrior, a champion to many, you inspire people; yet I would bet that you would drop everything on a heartbeat if it meant you could be with him" he put on a smug face and drank from his cup of wine.

"And what is that! Supposed to mean?".

"Not trying to offend you; but trying to please him could end hurting you more. It's all I'm saying". He put the glass down, moved around a little on his chair and continued. "But you are right. I am no one to tell you how to live your life; so, let's get back to business: What Seido wants from you is-".

He was cut mid-sentence as the head waiter whispered on his ear "Your 6:30 has arrived".

Hotaru was visibly angry; hitting the table with his open hands and whispering "Miserable buffoon! An hour and a half late…!" He stood up and called for everyone's attention "My deepest apologies, but an important matter requires my attention. Food will arrive soon, feel free to start without me".

As soon as Hotaru and Ryu left the room, Ruby went stiff. She tried to leave without others noticing but with no success. Yang being the first to raise her concern "Yo, Rubes! What's the matter?".

"Have to go the bathroom! That strawberry milkshake went down fast".

"Do you even know where to look for? The last thing we need is for more embarrassments" stated Weiss while giving a nasty look to Yang.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine". She slammed the door shut and ran through all the upper ring looking for the ladies' room.

* * *

Finding the bathroom was sort of a pain. Not only were the men and women bathrooms on either side of the exclusive dining rooms, but they needed authorization keys, which she had to ask a waiter where to find it only for him to tell her that they were on the side table of her dining room which had to first be activated by the head waiter.

Once empty though, she was going back to her respective dining room but noticed Hotaru greeting Roman Torchwick; the same man who tried to steal the dust shop the night she was invited to join Beacon. Not only that, but he was being a little too friendly with Hotaru and Ryu. She entered the bathroom again and peaked out to see what would happen. They went inside the Rat room, and after Ryu checked if the coast was clear, he closed the door and Ruby came out.

She wouldn't even dare to open the door, but she did press her ear on it to try and hear what they were talking about. "… yes, the Paladins came from me. But only as a cordiality with her, you go ape shit when a deal is broken, don't be a hypocrite".

"That THING! Attacked. It was seen by others. In case you don't know that means that the military now knows that their technology is being stolen, and that means routes with Atlas will be under surveillance! And even more, they'll trace them back to you!"

"They! Won't! Clean your ears! I did not give the Paladins to the White Fang; I gave it to her and then she thought it would be a good idea to give it to those animals. I'll give you this though, you were right on not trusting those savages. Word on the street is that they are not even at a third of what I would have got her in a month".

Flashbacks of that day came to Ruby. She heard from Blake about the White Fang rally; that one of the foot soldiers managed to command the Paladin but was too reactionary to use it the right way and just ended destroying the warehouse. But everything ended up working for the better: security was upgraded on every dust store, shipment and storage. White Fang thugs were falling left and right and Blake was happy for once.

"You can send your goblins to check the books. No more dust has been given to her and the White Fang, only cash was used to pay for them, so the Atlas military smugglers were payed, with interest! I'd like to add".

Silence fell on that room for a while. But then Ruby could hear a deep booming voice that seemed to come from a TV "You are certain that it won't be traced, Torchwick?".

"As. I. Said. No one knows she got them from me. We are clean. OK!?"

"Why DID you give her those Paladins. There was never a conversation about them".

"Ok, that one is on me. But as I already said: They were part of a previous arrangement. And if you must know she insists on working with me; I will not, by the way. I have not and will not tell her of you and this, but she is turning desperate to get some good dust. Maybe you should consider-".

"OUT OF THE QUESTION! My vision for this world will not be put in jeopardy by an arrogant, insufferable little woman playing warlord with terrorists! The sooner you understand that, the-"

"Lord Onaga, please. As I already told you Torchwick: We are not interested in her kind so don't… Lord Onaga, is everything ok?".

"…Ryu… Ryu smells something. Go look what it is!".

Ruby panicked. She got off the door and used her semblance to get a few feet away from the door. But she also needed an alibi, 'quick, think, think… bingo!'.

Ryu opened the doors just enough for his head to fit and saw Ruby ten feet away looking at the bottom floor. She was just resting with her shoulders on the railing. "Oh! Hi Ryu, got bored while waiting for the food. Hope you don't mind. I was just listening to that sax player, great music".

Ryu raised an eyebrow, almost as if he didn't know what she was talking about. He got out, closed the door and walked next to her. But once he saw who the player was, Ruby was able to see a certain degree of surprise and fear on his eyes. He then just walked back to the rat room and closed the doors.

Not wanting to expose herself anymore, Ruby decided to go back to the snake room. She had to question Blake about that rally.


	4. Chapter 4

Ruby entered the snake room again. Weiss and Pyrrha stopped talking when they noticed she seemed bothered by something.

"Is everything ok, Ruby?" Asked Pyrrha as soon as the younger girl sat down.

"Yeah! Everything is… oh, who am I kidding!?" She then grabbed her hood and put it over her head.

"Ruby, as your partner I've come to expect your weird behavior. But seriously, stop acting like a dolt".

She then raised her hood and looked at Weiss directly. She leaned forward and whispered to both girls. "You don't understand, Weiss. I heard them talking with-".

Ruby was interrupted when the doors opened and in came Hotaru with the waiters. "My most sincere apologies. An important client arrived, and the entertainment got mixed up. Tonight, has not been to my standards, but please, enjoy your meal". With a final bow, the waiters entered with all their food.

* * *

While at the beginning chattering was common, now everyone was quiet and enjoying the food. All but Ruby who just took small bites and seemed more interested on whatever Hotaru was doing. She looked at him like she was dissecting his every move and would have continued but then she noticed Ryu, staring at her with the same kind glare she was using; so, she then turned her sight to another place. The silence was interrupted as Hotaru began to talk to Pyrrha; not loud enough for all the table to stop enjoying their meal. "I hope everything is up to your standards".

"Oh yes, it is wonderful". After the failure of trying to get a date out of the situation, she had to admit that service and food had been excellent. "But we haven't been able to talk about that sponsorship deal, I feel we got a little sidetracked".

"Of course, as I was saying: Seido Industries is going to enter the electronics market. So, in order to compete with the Scroll, I present to you: The Zaphyre". He then pulled out a blue square like gem with a black margin that fitted in the palm of his hand. "you don't need Scrolls of two different seizes, this new product can be pulled on all direction, virtually indestructible and has a real time holographic model of whoever you are calling". The Zaphyre then projected an image of Ryu, when Pyrrha turned her head to look at him, he was indeed holding a Zaphyre as well. "You can also adjust how much of the room you want to show". With a move of his fingers, Pyrrha was able to see a blue circle growing and when looking at Ryu once again, she was able to see herself on the hologram. "Don't worry, we are working on color images. But I can assure you, we'll get there with the later models".

Most on the table went quiet with amazement little by little as they noticed the little device; and once the presentation was over, they all clapped in amazement.

"Wow, it's incredible!" Pyrrha complimented.

"Indeed, we want you to be our spokeswoman for the company on the technology division and all future projects. We are ready to pay you twice your current accumulated payment and to begin publicity next month".

This people were pros, she had to give them that. "Well, I have a photoshoot with Pumpkin Pete's around that time, but sure, I can do it!".

Just as everyone began to talk about how amazing the Zaphyre was, Hotaru turned the device off, putted it back on his jacket and changed his face and tone to serious. "I'm afraid you don't understand. You are not going to work with us, you'll work FOR us, Miss Nikos".

She was baffled "Wha- but… I-I-I can understand weapons, but I work with sports companies, vehicle manufacturers, I-I-".

"You don't even make cereal; how can you ask her to leave Pumpkin Pete's?" Jaune added.

"As I said, technology is just our most recent venture. Food and other services are within our interests on the near future, and it is bad for our brand for you to be seen alongside our future competitors and your new image".

"Wait. Image?" Ren asked puzzled at what he was hearing.

"What is wrong with Pyrr? She looks good to me. Great even". Nora added, worried and defensive of her teammate.

"Right now, red and gold seem to be her preferred colors. Unacceptable for Seido and our corporate color scheme".

Everyone at the table was at a loss for words. They were expecting some big wig to give her money or goods in exchange for using her face on product placement, but they were just outright telling her to become their mascot for whatever new thing they would sell.

"So. Should I pass tomorrow with the contract? Or would you prefer to meet me in my office?".

"I- I am sorry… but what you are saying is… I don't even know where to begin…".

At that moment, Hotaru punched the table and raised his voice "I am offering you the deal of a life-time, and you are just going to-". He was stopped midsentence when Ryu put his hand over his shoulder and gave him a cold stare. Hotaru then turned to the other guests, looking at him with shock at his outburst. He took a deep breath, moved his tie a little and talked again more calmly. "My apologies, you are right. It is a big decision. What do you say we meet again with your answer in the close future? Your terms, not mine. You can pass by to visit and we'll discuss any question you have".

Pyrrha was honestly confused by what just happened. But merely out of courtesy, she gave her answer. "Sure, I'll give you a call to tell you the details with my answer".

"Good. Please, have this". He took out a purple Zaphyre and handed it to her. "Think of it as a… friendship token. It is one hundred percent functional and you only need to put it next to your Scroll for information to be transferred".

* * *

The dinner ended and Hotaru had to go and meet a surprise guest, so Mr. Onyx had to take them to the door. The trip there was quiet, but once they were outside and Weiss back in costume, they all bombarded Pyrrha with questions and comments.

"Are you gonna take that deal? I mean damn, that's a lot of dough, P-money!".

"Can you believe that brute!? Who does he think he is to talk to her that way!? I mean sure, father would have done the same if he wasn't just interested in dust this, and dust that. But if he were to-".

"Imagine all the cool things she could get Ren! I mean, sure, she would have to hide buying neat things we know and love if they also started making the same things… do you think they make pancakes? Would she have to quit eating pancakes, Ren?".

"Well, Seido doesn't seem to be in too much controversies, human or faunus. I don't think they are that bad overall…".

"Guys! Stop!" Jaune yelled.

They all went quiet and then looked at Pyrrha and the troubling look on her face. At that moment, most understood that the decision was indeed a hard one. "Sorry Pyrrha, it's your choice not ours". Yang apologized first. They all did except for Weiss who just stopped talking all together.

Jaune then turned to tell Ruby to apologize before realizing that she had not said a word after leaving the snake room. He then touched her shoulder, startling her and making her quickly turn around and face them "Woah, Rubes! Everything alright?".

Weiss then stepped between them. "You have been awfully silent since you came back from the bathroom. Is everything all right?".

"No, it is not…" Ruby kept insisting. Yang was about to tease her, but then noticed that Ruby was indeed worried about something big.

"Ruby, you can tell us. You know that, right?".

"I'll tell you. But not here". She went back and looked at the hotel before putting a hand over Crescent Rose.

With that, the teens decided the night was finally over and that it was time to head back to Beacon.

* * *

Inside the dragon room, which also served as Hotaru's office; he, Ryu and one of the Naknada clan were looking at the screen and then at the window.

"She does not seem to want to sign your contract, lord Hotaru" pointed out the Naknada.

"Patience Kollector, I will get her to sign. Lord Onaga's vision for this world, Orderrealm and Outworld will not be denied by a teenager and her little friends". He then turned and talked to the empty space in the middle of the room. "Find her and look for anything that may allow us to sway her our way. Send it to us once you find something". He then pulled a Zaphyre and a 3D map of Vale appeared. "Her Zaphyre has a tracking device. It should be no problem for you to follow her everywhere she goes".

They all stepped out of the way and had a window open. "Remember: Just intelligence gathering, no fighting, no killing". Thumps were heard going in the direction of the window and then silence.

"Are you sure he will succeed in his mission?".

"He better. If he so wants to build his precious factory here".

* * *

The trip back to Beacon was easy enough for both teams. The paparazzi seemed to have left for the day and not many people were left to use the bullhead. It would have been a nice trip if it were not for Ruby checking her back every few seconds and jumping at every noise. Many had already asked her to just tell them what she saw at the hotel, but she refused and insisted that it was better to tell them in the dorms.

When finally arriving to their hall, RWBY entered their dorm while JNPR went to theirs.

"We'll be right there, girls. Give us a second to leave our stuff". Jaune told the other team as he opened his team's room. They left their scrolls and changed to their pajamas. As they were leaving, Nora thought she heard a light thump in the room, she turned the light on but saw nothing.

"Hurry up, Nora! It's important!" exclaimed Ruby from her bed.

"Coming, just checking something". She finally closed their dorm and entered the other room; closing the door and locking it, as requested by Ruby.

It took her some time to finally make sure nothing was wrong. The curtains were closed, the door double locked, and she put a song on her scroll, just to make sure no one outside the room could hear them.

"Would you PLEASE, cut this out and just tell us what was so bad back in the hotel? You are starting to annoy me more than usual" scolded Weiss as she started to take off the makeup.

Yang then continued with Weiss' observation. "Yeah, you were, like, super weird almost all night. You kept looking at that Hotaru guy as if he was planning to kill you".

"Yang, I know he was not trying to kill me!" Ruby snapped at her. She then took a deep breath and started her story "Ok, so… when I was leaving the bathroom, I saw Hotaru and that 'important-client-of-his' and it was, and you are not gonna believe this: Roman. Torchwick!".

While everyone in the room didn't scream or gasp immediately, they did look at her with great surprise; even Weiss stopped what she was doing to look at Ruby. After a long silence, Nora was the first to speak.

"Woa, woa, woa, Rubs. Are you sure you saw him? Roman Torchwick? Just casually walking into a restaurant to talk with some businessman. Are you sure it wasn't some look-a-like?".

"I know what I saw Nora! I fought Torchwick, I know how he looks". She then looked directly at Blake. "Not only that, remember the whole Paladin incident?". She then crossed her arms over her chest and continued "Guess who gave it to them?".

This did get a gasp out of Blake. "Are you saying that Torchwick and the White Fang are working together?".

"Not exactly, maybe at some point; he referred to giving the Paladins as a cordiality to a woman".

Blake remembered the night she and Sun did a stakeout and she saw the White Fang stealing dust crates. Their heist was a failure, but mostly because they were forced to work with low rate criminals. She was heartbroken when she discovered that the organization, where she put her heart and soul on, had become one of thieves; but she was relieved when higher ranks of the Vale circle were captured along with other small-time dust robbers. "Wait… Roman has been off the radar for a long time. Yet you just said he was able to secure Paladins?".

"I don't think he went off the grid. I know he was helped, Seido Industries is covering him".

"How are you so sure about that?" Then interjected Pyrrha.

"Well, he didn't outright say it, but it did sound like he was still working under instructions from Onaga himself".

"Hold on, did you just say Onaga? As in the owner of Seido Industries Onaga?". Ren asked.

"Yes, I overheard them from behind the door. I heard his voice. He sounds big and mean if you ask me. He said he has a plan for Remnant. Whatever that means".

"What about that 'her'? you said Torchwick used to work with a woman, right?" Asked Yang.

"No name ever came up. She was the one working with the White Fang, but right now she doesn't seem like much".

"Did any of them see you?" Asked Jaune.

"Not exactly… Ryu was able to smell my scent. I think I was able to convince him that I just wanted some time outside. Maybe he would have pushed more but he seemed more concerned with the musician".

Everyone went quiet. After a long time, Pyrrha stood up and addressed everyone "Well, this settles everything then, I am out of this deal. I will not be part of this".

"You can't…" Everyone then turned towards Weiss. "If you do, at least now, then whatever excuse you'll give him won't work. He'll know something is wrong and that Ruby might have something to do with it".

"Well we can't just stay and do nothing!" Replied Nora "That is still a dangerous criminal walking all around Vale without a care and a pocket full of cash to back him up!".

"You are also ignoring a bigger picture". Interjected Blake. "He gave altesean military equipment to this woman. Military equipment that she then gave to the White Fang for their use".

"We should tell the authorities about this".

"Not wise. If he has worked with Torchwick this long without being caught, telling the cops about him would make him clean his tracks. It would be impossible to track him then". Ren responded.

"So… what should we do?" Asked a now more annoyed Yang.

After a longer pause, everyone was talking with one another. It was the combo of Ruby and Jaune who then turned and called for everyone's attention. Jaune then began the explanation. "Well, the way I see it we have two targets: One is Seido Industries and Torchwick. The other is the mysterious woman and the White Fang. If we catch either of them, they can reveal information on the other".

"And how, exactly, do you propose we do that?" Questioned Weiss.

This time, it was Ruby who answered. "We would need two teams, one who would look into Seido's business from the inside. The second would need to look for the White Fang".

Yang raised her hand and happily proclaimed herself in the White Fang team "I know a guy, Junior. He knows all that happens in the criminal world, I'll get him to talk".

"I'm with Yang" claimed Weiss. When she noticed that everyone was looking surprised at her, she immediately added "What? Seido employees will instantly recognize me. Besides, imagine what the media would say if the heiress of the SDC is working to bring down their rivals in a direct way". That made sense to all.

Ren then turned to Jaune once again. "Ok, that is one. But how are we going to infiltrate Seido Industries?".

"Remember how most of the hotel bellhops were faunus? If we could get someone to work as a part-timer, we could gather recon to get evidence of Torchwick and Hotaru working together".

"Alright! Fearless leader is on fire!" Nora yelled while rising her fists in the air. "But… where are we going to get a faunus who trusts us, is unknown to staff and won't be associated to us by being a student of Beacon".

As soon as Nora finished, they all looked at Blake. All thinking of the exact same person. "I can ask him. But I don't guaranty he'll join us!".

"Good enough! Ren, Blake, I think your abilities are best suited for the Seido team in case we manage to get Sun on the inside". They both nodded in approval.

"My guess is that I'll be on the Seido team?" Pyrrha added. "If Sun somehow fails, we can use my meetings as a last resort to get information on Torchwick".

"Only as a last resort". Confirmed Ruby.

The final distribution to infiltrate Seido included Blake, Ren, Pyrrha and Ruby while those looking for clues on the White Fang conspiracy included Yang, Weiss, Nora and Jaune.

Everyone felt good overall. If they succeeded, they'll be taking down Torchwick, the White Fang, a criminal enterprise and a possible terrorist threat.

After all was said and planed, JNPR retired to their dorm. Everyone was getting ready until Pyrrha went to check her scroll. It was almost dead.

"Strange…"

"What is Pyrr?"

"I left my scroll charging, but it has even less power than when we got here".

"Maybe you didn't plug the charger in?"

She went to see the power outlet and, indeed, it was disconnected. "Yeah, you were right. But still, I remember that I left it charging".

"Well, you'll need to leave it charging overnight. Good night, guys". Jaune finally said as they all turned the lights out.

Two hours later, no one noticed the window slide open and then close itself.

* * *

On the outsides of Vale, on an abandoned house a crackling noise was heard by the animals that now lived there. Then there was an explosion and a blue round portal opened in the middle of the room.

Fourteen cloaked figures stepped out of the portal and an uncloaked one wearing white robes, a blue vest and a blue cloth decorated with gold designs. He also wore a straw hat that seemed to produce electricity at random. "Our intelligence suggests that our enemies have already begun to act on this world. Do not fight unless it is necessary, and if you do, do not let anyone know who we really are or where we come from. You are all the best in all the realms; may the Elder Gods watch over you. Dismissed".

With those final words, all but one of the cloaked figures began to walk away in groups of four. "I don't know how much damage has already been made, old friend. But I can sense that the fate of this world has already been changed by our arrival; one way, or another".


	5. Chapter 5

"Alright! Keep the sausages coming!" An ecstatic Sun yelled. He and his partner, Neptune were having breakfast at a local dinner in Vale, courtesy of team RWBY. But while Sun was busy gulping food like a savage, Neptune eyed the girls while steering his coffee, knowing something was up.

"Sooooo, you tell us to meet you on the docks, invite us to an all you can eat breakfast and just so that we go to the mall with you?".

Ruby, Yang and Blake were at the other side of the table, just looking at both boys with obvious fake grins.

"Well… we just like to hang with our favorite boys! …From Heaven!" Yang assured, less than effectively.

While Sun was still chewing, Neptune kept pressing. "So… Where's Weiss?". At that moment they saw Yang give a forced cough, 10 seconds later, and after an awkward silence, the door to the dinner opened and in came Weiss wearing her costume. Both boys had been briefed on her paparazzi situation.

"Oh… Hello, Neptune and Sun". All in the table looked at Weiss as she sat down. "Wasn't expecting to see you here! Hey! How about if when we are at the mall, we go to the game store and buy… buy…" she then turned to Yang looking at her for help.

"Killer Street 3! It's not that hard Weiss!".

As un finally gulped down his last dish, he and Neptune then just looked at the poor huntresses and their little manipulation game with pity.

Sun finally spoke up "Ok. Enough with this. What do you all want?".

Ruby tried to fake a shocked face and voice. "Whaaaaat? What'cha talking about, Sun! We're just hanging with our guy-friends!".

Neptune and Sun looked at each other again. Their faces just as unimpressed as they were before. "I'm not an idiot, girls. I knew there was something up the moment you said 'free-breakfast'".

All girls went silent, looking at each other. Blake was the first to talk. "Well… we did only invite Sun…".

Neptune, while not offended, retorted "We are a package deal. You know that. So off with it. Why try to bribe us with food and games?".

The girls let out a collective sigh before Ruby spoke again. "We need your help Sun, and only Sun. We need you as a mole".

"So… is it to get dirt on a bully or something? Is Cardin being a jerk again, Weiss?"

"For the love of… not a silly little spy, Neptune. Mole. As in we need you to get classified data from a company! Borderline corporate espionage".

This shocked both boys. They stared at them to see if they, at any moment, would just crack a smile and reveal all as a prank. But when no such event came, it was just Sun's cheerful voice that broke the silence. "I'm in!".

"YOU WHAT!?" Replied Neptune while Ruby and Yang looked at him with wide grins while Blake and Weiss just with surprise.

"You… are ok with this Sun? Thought you'd need more convincing" asked Blake.

"You kidding? That White Fang rally was the most fun I had since getting to this city! I knew you girls had a thing for trouble".

Neptune was in shock, but before he could call out the insanity of what was being talked about, Sun stopped him. "But I do have conditions: One, I want details. All of them. No holding back. Also, and be sincere, is this to help the SDC?" he asked the last part while looking at Weiss. All girls understood that if he was to be convinced, it should be her effort.

Weiss took a deep breath before answering. "On the long run, yes but this is not about me. It's for Pyrrha".

This woke Neptune's interest. "Hold on. The Pyrrha Nikos. Mistral champion? The hot red-head from the library the other day?".

All girls nodded while Weiss also gave him a mean eye. "She is a friend, a good one. And we know for a fact that people who want her are not good".

"Ok. Was gonna help anyway, but honesty is best. So, where do we begin?".

With assurance that Sun was on board, the girls told him all that happened at the Night Beatle and what was planned for the moment.

* * *

"Uuuuuuuuuugh, Cardin I'm so bored!".

"Besides, you said Arc was no longer a target. And Dove really needs to finish that report or is more detention with Port!" Both Russel and Sky complained to their leader.

Cardin tried his best to ignore their whining, but he just had had enough. "We'll leave when I say we can leave. Besides, it's just a small prank; cover him with ice dust and run away. Won't even know it was us".

Ever since the incident at the Forever Fall, some distance was drawn between both students and their respective teams. Fighting only when needed in combat class and cooperating on mutual projects when ordered to. But ever since that day, Jaune seemed to get better at combat (still not even close to his level) but also on the theory classes. This sure annoyed Cardin, and he wanted to take Jaune down from the pedestal his team was now on. Childish? Maybe. Going against their non-aggression deal? Perhaps. But if something embarrassing happened and an anonymous source leaked pictures of that to all the students in school without JNPR knowing he was the source of all, then he wouldn't be guilty. At least he thought so that way; he was not revealing his forged transcript papers, so it wasn't that bad.

It didn't help his mood that suddenly his teammates started to worry about their grades and how ´physical abilities are not the only requirement to become an official huntsman, Cardin´, making their troublemaker reputation fade away with every week.

But alas, he convinced them to torture Jauny-boy once while in Vale… If only he would step in place. They were waiting atop a building next to the park where team JNPR were just sitting on the benches, pacing back and forth with a worried look on their faces. It was ages before they saw Nora answer her scroll and then they all seemed happy and started to walk in their direction.

"Ok boys, get ready, here they come. Dove, the ice dust gun! Sky get the camera ready!".

All pieces were falling in place, but while the three boys were busy preparing everything, Russel noticed something strange, something rolling in Jaune's way; and when he stepped on it, the object pushed him up backwards and made him crash onto a woman wearing a black hoodie behind him. The crash made her drop all the boxes and papers she was carrying.

"Oh no, sorry ma'am! I don't know what happened! I swear-!" Jaune tried to apologize, but the woman was having none of it.

"You Imbecil! You moronic, blonde goof!" The woman stood up to look behind at the mess on the sidewalk. "Great, thanks a lot, shit-head".

"Hey! It was an accident, lady. Cut him some slack!" Demanded Nora as she stepped between them. "He said it was an accident and that he was sorry, ok?".

Not intimidated by Nora in the slightest, the woman just stepped closer to her and then leaned forward to be on her eye level "I am not talking to his orange pet; and he is gonna pay for what he just-".

The fight was interrupted as out of nowhere an ice stalagmite appeared behind the woman. She quickly turned around and stepped back a little before verbally attacking again and then turning. "What the hell did you little fu-". As she turned, they all had left. Left in anger, she just turned around again and started to pick up the papers and box contents.

Up on the roof top, CRDL watched the confrontation. Dove, above all others was now pissed. He now had less time to finish his report and the excuse for why he didn't do it was a flop. "Well, Cardin; I hope you are happy. We just… hey, where did he go?".

"Seriously, Dove? He is next… to…". Russel tried to reprimand his teammate, but Cardin, indeed, was nowhere on the roof. "What the… where did he…?".

Dove and Russel started to look before being distracted by Sky. "Of course he is...".

Both then looked at the street again, seeing Cardin go out of the building and heading directly for the woman. "Oh, no. What happened here? Are you alright?" Cardin asked, pretending to be surprised by what happened.

"No, I'm not. First my designs get rejected, then I must store them in my house and hope for them to be used in the future, my college tuition went up, and now I must collect all the posters, or I'm fired! Gods, I need to punch something. But guess what? My martial arts dojo is closed due to termites. GAAAAH!".

Cardin could give very little care about her problems. But she looked fit under that hood, and he did like his girls to be fit. "Well, you'll finish faster if I help you." He started to pick up the papers before pausing and reading some of them more carefully. "Armored Fists? Hey, I love that band!". His attention was then drawn to some tickets which he then picked up "The Cracked Skullz tournament? Man, I would love to go see it".

"Another Fists and a Cracked Skullz enthusiast? Small world".

"Where did you get tall these?".

"Part-timer at a publicity company. The owner sometimes gets free stuff as a bonus. Though many in there don't really appreciate some of our clients".

When they were finally done with the cleaning, the woman removed her hoodie and tied it to her waist. That revealed her thin body yet amazingly marked six-pack, beautiful pale skin and her short side parted hair; kind of manly, but she seemed like a tough girl who could pull that look.

"Well, thank you for your effort. Though… Could you help me take these to my apartment? I could pay you with lunch". She then turned around to face him and Cardin could swear her chest size seemed bigger. "Though… are burgers fine with you? I know this place, Marcs. We also get discounts".

Hot body, same interests in music and fighting, has no problem with fast food and hates Jaune with passion? He had to be dreaming. "Sure, lead the way!". Before they left, he felt his scroll vibrate. He had received a message from Sky.

'Seems you have plans. Don't want to be extra wheels; can we go now?'.

He looked at the ceilings and gave an ok sign. Boy was he glad he used that dust to make a distraction for JNPR to leave. Now he had scored a date with an older girl… who he still had no idea what her name was.

"Um, by the way: I'm Cardin. Cardin Winchester".  
"What do you known. Big boy has manners. I'm… Elsa. Pleasure to meet you".

When they left the park area and the rest of CRDL were gone, two neon blue lines began to glow and then faded into the alleyway.

* * *

"These huntsmen academies. Are you sure they are our best option general?". Asked the blue-robed figure to the avatar of a blonde woman on his amulet.

"They are. Military will not accept people over 30. And even if we got in, bootcamp will take ages to graduate. Huntsmen can roam public spaces with weapons at their disposal and are assigned missions that allow them to go to different parts of their corresponding kingdom. Although, Major Briggs assures me that portal traveling will be available in a few weeks, we can be on opposite sides of this world within hours".

"Have you given a thought on these academies?".

"My team would work better in Atlas; we are already used to the military lifestyle".

"No chance babe. 'This' needs his eight hours beauty sleep… what? I was joking!" a voice said in the background.

"The White Lotus would be better fit for Heaven over at Mistral. Very similar to many Asian cultures".

"Good, the ninjas are heading to Vale as we speak. Should any development arise, I'll be in contact".

"Good. Over and out". As the hologram vanished from his amulet, the robed figure turned to his companion; a tanned man with long white hair tied into a ponytail wearing more humble clothes; two strips of red cloth and black leather that went over each shoulder with blue pants, a black leather cummerbund that held both pieces together and a set of silver wrist guards. He was glad that his companion had returned from recon, not noticing the somber look on his pupil-less eyes.

"Fujin, I did not expect you to arrive yet. Have you any information? Who are we dealing with? Shao Kahn? Shinnok?"

The robed man pressed on until Fujin stepped next to a table. "Neither, but what I did find, is most troubling". He then threw him a knife packed on its sheath.

"I do not understand".

"Look at the brand, Raiden".

"Manufactured by… It can't be… Seido… Orderrealm…".

"And that's their kamidogu. No coincidence. People from Orderrealm are here".

"But it makes no sense. Why would the realm of Order, out of all others, want something from this place?" Raiden then passed the knife back to Fujin and began to walk on the opposite direction. "They are a neutral realm, secluded. Every major invasion has been ignored by them".

"It's true, but they also ceased what little communication they had with Earth not that long ago. I have not been able to perform any diplomatic visits in ages, ever since Shao Kahn and Shinnok's failed invasions. Their protector and elemental gods have also not mentioned any developments recently, only that people were growing more afraid with each passing day".

"This is indeed worrying. Are there more of those?".

"Knifes, swords, guns, weapons of every kind. They even commercialize the so called 'dust' that Hanzo mentioned. They have been here for a while".

Raiden knew that in order to solve this mystery he needed to go at least go back to Earthrealm. He then needed an audience with the gods of Orderrealm and see why all of this went unnoticed. Not just from fellow gods, but from the Elder Gods themselves.

"Fujin, I must leave. I need to-"

"Consult with the Elder Gods. I understand" He then walked next to Raiden and placed a hand over the other man's shoulder. "We will talk with Jax tomorrow morning, right now we all need to rest my friend".

As they made their way to meditate, Raiden turned his head towards Fujin. "Jax? He has gained the respect of his superiors by achieving the rank of 'Major'. You should address him like that, Fujin. It is respectful".

"True, but he is also a friend, Raiden. Or should I say, 'Lord protector'?"

For a little while, Raiden chuckled, defeated by the logic of his long-time friend. "You speak the truth, 'Wind God'".


	6. Chapter 6

Up on his office, Ozpin was more relaxed than ever on what he felt was the best Friday evening since reincarnating on this body. The whole White Fang incidents passed without major developments and no sign of Salem and her lackeys meant he could enjoy a nice coffee, listen to some music, read something, or do whatever he wanted.

Everything was going smoothly; but after a few minutes, his scroll rang. He looked over and saw Glynda's face on the screen. Convinced nothing could destroy his current mood, he answered. "Glynda, I thought you'd be taking the night off. To what do I owe the pleasure?".

"Very funny, professor, but the man from that school in the woods is here again, he insists on an audience with you".

"Have you told him that he has to wait for next year like any other school before their students have an opportunity at entering Beacon?".

"Yes…"

"And what is the difference this time?"

"He came with a specific section of the academy rules and, well… it does mention a special admission test after the school year has begun".

Ozpin spitted out his coffee. "Impossible!" Surely enough, Glynda sent him the page and the highlighted part in question:

_'People of corresponding age who wish to become huntsmen or huntresses and have missed admission deadlines can apply at any time and must pass evaluations set by the corresponding faculty members according to the level in which the current first years are now on'._

"Oh… now I remember…" Ozpin deadpanned. 'When huntsmen academies where created, I wanted to enroll the biggest number of people possible. Guess I never felt the need to re-write the rules after they became a standard institution on the kingdoms' Ozpin thought. "Very well, Glynda. Let him in".

An elevator ride later, and Glynda entered with the man in question. Feher, was the man's last name; Szél Feher. His tanned skin and white hair were on second plane considering his multicolored shirt that worked as a robe, the ridiculous branch crown on his head and his sandals with socks combo. This was his third time trying to get an audience with Ozpin since the first time no one believed his supposed 'school in the woods' was legitimate and that his 'star pupils' would be on-par with first year students of Beacon. But surely enough, he arrived with the corresponding certificates of authenticity and now the special clause of admission. If anything, his determination was admirable.

"Professor Ozpin!" The man exclaimed with open arms. Ozpin went for a handshake but was surprised when the man went for a hug.

Both Ozpin and Glynda were at a loss for words; definitely not expecting this. "Uhhhh… Mr. Feher… you can let go now… please?".

"Oh, brother. Why is it that city life makes everyone so uncomfortable with their brethren?".

Once free, Ozpin proceeded to fix his suit and show their guest a chair. "Well, I have to admit that you are a tough one; so, we are indeed going to have a special evaluation for your students. As many theorical exams from our curriculum as needed and one combat test against the lowest performing team. Does that sound fair".

"A chance is indeed all I ask for. I can assure you; the children hold skills that will surprise you".

Glynda then stepped next to Szel. "Do you have their profiles?".

"I have." He handed her 4 folders. "Kuai, Thomas, Hanzo and Jerrod. Remarkable warriors. I guaranty you won't regret this!".

Ozpin took a sip of coffee while reading the information on these kids. "Seventeen. Good. All orphans?".

"Sadly, yes. You could say I raised them myself".

"The last one. Jerrod… he is wearing a mask…"

"A tragic accident, his skin is was left very sensitive. He does have issues with it. Hope it is not a problem".

"Sorry to hear that. But if we can allow Mrs. Rose's cape, I'm sure his skin condition is enough to justify his mask".

Glynda was next to question him "Why didn't you present them earlier this year?".

"Their training was not yet completed. The travel here also took us longer than expected".

"And why aren't they here with you?".

"They wanted to see the city. They've spent so much time on a small village and the woods, they get impatient after long. Teenagers, you understand".  
Some minor questions about them continued until finally everything was set for their exams on Monday. "Very well. Everything is set and we'll see your students first thing in the morning at the Bullhead landing platform".

After another elevator ride, Both Glynda and Szel then walked towards the courtyard and heading towards the landing area. "Don't worry about me, Glynda. I can take it from here. Thanks for giving us a chance".

"Well. This is a first for my tenure as vice-principal, but I do expect that your students are as good as you say they are". Changing her serious persona, she then spoke more calmly "And don't worry, I can escort you to the… bullheads…?". Before she could finish her sentence, she was able to see Szel already bording the bullhead. "How did he…?" She was left to wonder as the vehicle closed and flew away to the city.

The bullhead was fortunately empty. And Szel took advantage of it. He took out his amulet from under his shirt and the avatar of a dark-skinned young man with metal arms appeared. "Greetings Jax, I see the age altering talismans are working".

"It has fooled all those we have met so far. Wow, what did Cage make you do?".

"Yes… I am a free spirit, but I feel kind of offended this is how Johnny Cage sees me. Anyway, how is the situation in Atlas?".  
"Same as Beacon. We are gonna need you here and more of those fake certificates to get in".

Fujin grunted. Teleporting in Earthrealm was easy, he knew all the wind patterns and the quickest routes. Here though? He would need to take small steps and leaps of faith. Until Raiden returned and gave him more time, that is. "You'll have to give me some days, have Johnny create a new profile for me… make it two, I feel we'll have the same reaction from Heaven".

* * *

The weekend finally arrived. And Jaune's team was already on the move… with a surprise additament to their team. Although Sun agreed to join their operation, Neptune insisted on hanging around. At first, they rejected, but Sun insisted on him being a part of it; adding his involvement to his conditions.

"So, let me get this straight… Torchwick used to work with the White Fang, but now he is not; and he only did it because of a connection to a woman. And all the failed dust robberies are somehow connected to this 'her'; and if we find her, we find Torchwick?". Neptune insisted on questioning Jaune as they followed Yang.

"Yes, that is the basic idea".

"Right… and… where does Pyrrha fall in all of this?".

Jaune looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to them before talking again in a lower voice "Because if we can find that woman, she can link us to Torchwick and we can then bust Seido!".

Neptune took a moment to let all sink in "Ok, I'm already here. Might as well make the best of it". He thought that what they were doing was admirable; but a long shot at best. He kept walking thinking about nothing when he suddenly recognized the route they were taking. "Hold on. Yang are we going to-".

"Yep!".

"But… aren't you…?".

Before anyone could ponder, they were surprised by the building. Instead of the rundown look from before it was now a clean white building with no windows. The music was already playing, and a handful of people were already lining to enter.

Yang was ready to kick the door open but was stopped by one of Junior's men. "Please step in line to enter" he said.

Annoyed, Yang then stepped close to the grunt. "Look we only want to talk to Junior. Are we doing this the easy way…" She then cracked her knuckles. "Or the one you already know".

Unaffected by Yang's display of possible violence, the man then spoke again. "Please, step in line or We'll be forced to call the authorities".

"Ok, you asked for it. Hey Nora, how about some scrambled legs?".

"Oh, now we are talking!" Nora was getting ready before the rest of the group stepped between them.

"No. You are not doing that, Xiao Long. We have a chance to enter the nice way, and we are going to do it! Got it!?" Weiss scolded them.

Yang did not move and instead confronted Weiss with her own frown.

"Yang, chill" Neptune then suggested. "It's only, like 8 people before us. It's no problem".

She just wanted to get through with things. But it seemed that a majority of three to two decided to take the long route. "Ok, fine I've seen longer lines anyway…". It, however, took them two hours to finally get to the front of the line; and once the bouncer checked that everything was ok, he let them in.

They entered through the door, but instead of a dance floor, the bar and booths; they arrived at a vestibule that had a sofa on the right wall, a muted TV showing the news on the left and right in front of them a door with a futuristic screen, a metal platform and another bouncer.

"Welcome to Junior's. Please leave your electronic devices, luggage and weapons on the platform. Then proceed to the scanner for clearance".

All this bureaucracy was finally getting on Yang's nerves. "We just want to enter! Is it really THAT hard!?".

The bouncer did not flinch and instead just repeated what he said before. "Welcome to Junior's. Please leave your electronic devices, luggage and weapons on the platform. Then proceed to the scanner for clearance".

Yang gave up and proceeded to hold her face on her hands. Neptune, on the other hand, was sceptic about what was going on. "Why should we give you our weapons?".

The bouncer said nothing at first, remaining stoic for a few seconds before answering. "New policy. No fighting inside and therefore no weapons of any kind, sir. You will be given an access card which you can use to reclaim whatever you left when you are ready to leave. It is a free service and we guaranty 100% safety".

Raising an eyebrow, Yang then questioned the bouncer. "Are you really expecting us to go and talk with Junior without any way to defend ourselves?".

The guard looked at her, and after a few seconds gave the same answer "New policy. No fighting inside and therefore no weapons of any kind, madam. You will-".

"RAAAAAAAHHHH!" Yang was getting her gauntlets ready before being stopped by Jaune.

"Yang, it's ok. Let's just do as he says. We'll be in and out before you know it".

She took a long breath and conceded. One at a time, they proceeded to put their weapons on the platform and looked at the screen as instructed by the bouncer. Once the screen turned green, their weapons were picked up by a mechanical claw and a card was given. But when Yang tried to use the scanner, it turned yellow.

"Miss… Xiao Long." The bouncer announced. "You are a yellow alert in this establishment. If you wish to enter, please have your companion or companions ask security for your clearance if you wish to enter again. Your personal objects will be held, and you can reclaim them at the exit door if you so wish. Thank you for your understanding". The claw then took Ember Celica away while everyone just looked with panic at Yang believing she would trash the room. To their surprise however, she just stood there.

After a while, Nora was the first to try and get a response from her. She slowly went to touch her shoulder, but stopped dead on her tracks when Yang spoke on a neutral tone; obviously holding back her rage.

"Just… go… try to talk to Junior… and try to get me in… I have had it with this place's crap… I just want to get the job done".

"Are you…?" Weiss tried to ask.

"YES!" Screamed Yang. "Sorry, I'll just… stay here. Text me after you are done". She then walked over to the sofa and sat. The rest of the group understood and then walked in.

* * *

Inside, everything looked normal. People were dancing, drinking and having a good time overall. Neptune, however, noticed that the decoration looked different. The decoration was lighter in color with the pillars now looking like cylindrical waterfalls and the dancefloor an ocean of everchanging colors. The DJ booth now was in the shape of a pyramid and an entire new section on the second floor with private booths.

"This place… it's so… different from last time".

Sarcastically, Nora responded. "I wonder why…". They all turned their heads to where she was looking and found the club's logo. Under the name 'Junior's', in small letters, was the text 'A proud member of the Seido Industries entertainment branch'.

"Should we be surprised?" stated Weiss.

"Ok, team. New strategy: Never, ever, mention the name Torchwick or imply that we know Seido is doing something shady. Neptune. Yang is not here; so, do you remember how this Junior guy looks like?".

"Yeah, don't worry just stay here. I'll go look aro-AAAAHH!". A soon as Neptune was turning, they were greeted by a set of twins that no one saw when they arrived.

"Well what do you know, Melanie. Xiao Long's friends".

"What do you want here?" asked the other twin with clear dissatisfaction in her voice while folding her arms on her chest.

"How did you-" tried to ask Jaune.

"The girl who trashed our club tries to enter and you think we wouldn't notice?" answered Melanie first this time. Holding her scroll which showed a picture of Yang.

"Besides, I remember blue-blunder here. It's not so hard to make the connection". Miltia complimented.

Seeing as they were already on thin ice with the heads of security (as previously briefed by Yang). Weiss decided to play the middle ground. "We don't want to cause any troubles. We don't even have our weapons with us. What's the worst we could do?".

The twins gave a quick glare at each other before continuing their interrogation.

"Again".

"What do you want?".

"And don't think we are dumb enough to believe you just want 'a good time'".

"When Xiao Long is involved, it's always about information on something".

"Or someone".

The team looked at Jaune, trusting on his judgement to handle the situation. "Ok, yes we are looking for Junior".

Both girls stared at Jaune, not showing any emotion and expecting him to tell them more.

He was nervous, but thankfully he did not crack. "That is all you need to know for now".

They kept staring at him, then looked at the other with the same determination on their faces.

"Fine…".

"Suit yourselves…". They stepped out of their way and Neptune was finally able to spot Junior on the bar. "But just so you know…".

"You are wasting your time".

They all walked to the bar along with the twins. Nora congratulated Jaune on not breaking but Weiss was just puzzled about what they meant by their last sentence. Sure enough, they reached the bar where they were surprised by Junior's smile.

"Heads up, boss!".

"Xiao Long's friends".

"Really? Well, what will it be kids?".

By the way Yang described Junior, everyone was expecting more hostility from his part everything considered. After a quick moment of silence, Nora spoke first. "Sooooo... Mr. Junior, right? Why the big smile if you know who we are?".

His smile then turned from happy to smug "You may be huntsmen in training, but you have no weapons while we do, and blondie is not here. What's the worst you can do?".

Although insulting, they decided to just let it slide; they needed to know about the White Fang and whatever they could get on their ally.

Jaune started. "Ok, we need information".

Junior pretended to look surprised. "Information? On what?".

"The White Fang. What are they up to now?"

Junior signaled with his finger for them to get closer; and once they were close enough, he told them "I have no idea".

Confusion turned into indignation when they saw Junior laughing at them.

"What do you mean? Didn't you give us information last time?" Neptune almost screamed.

"Last time, kid. A long time ago. I don't care about that business anymore".

Nora then tried to press on and tease him. "What, the big boys no longer want to tell you secrets?".

"More like I no longer need them. If you want to know about the White Fang, look at the news. If they have not been arrested, they are fighting amongst themselves over on Vacuo".

Seeing as asking for the White Fang was turning useless at this point, Jaune then tried to get something on the woman. "Ok… so the White Fang are gone… but why were they here in the first place?"

"Faunus rights, terrorist attacks, stealing things, how should I know?".

"You seemed to last time".

"Hearing about something happening is not the same as keeping a record on what they do".

"Are you really telling us you don't have any idea how the White Fang came into possession of an altesian paladin?".

Junior's cocky smile was finally gone, but he still gave no signs of delivering what they needed. "I found out about that the same way you all did. I read it on a news article".

"Really? Because I don't think someone in the Atlas military is very willingly giving weapons freely to them".

"And why should I know who their supplier is?".

Seeing that affirmation as a weakness in hi alibi, Weiss decided to keep pushing. "So, there is a supplier".

"What…? Well… maybe, they got it from somewhere, right?".

"And you know that supplier!".

"I… NO!". He was now refusing to meet their eyes.

He was on the brink of breaking "Don't lie Junior. Who did he give that Paladin to!?".

Everyone's enthusiasm, even Nora's, fell at that moment. While Weiss had not outright stated that the 'he' was Roman, implying that there were two people in that deal was a very specific detail. One that Junior caught.

"What do you mean by 'he'?". Asked a now reinvigorated Junior. "Who is this 'he'?".

"Well… isn't it obvious there needs to be two people for such a delicate operation?". She tried to regain her train of thought, but he just kept pushing.

"Two? And you know who one of those suppliers is?".

"No, of course not!" Nora then took over. "How would we know about him?".

"You seem sure to know that one is a man".

The team was now losing. It felt like every answer was slowly but surely revealing they knew about Torchwick and Seido. It felt like a they needed a miracle.

"RED LEVEL THREAT DETECTED! RED LEVEL THREAT DETECTED! RED LEVEL THREAT DETECTED!" an alarm suddenly announced. Junior ignored speaker and looked directly at the twins. They were looking at their scrolls but could not figure out who or what the threat was.

"Well!? What is it!?" a frustrated Junior asked.

"We don't know!"

"It doesn't show any names. Just two bearded guys!"

Security started to move to the main door and a thought popped into Weiss' mind. "Wait, are they in the vestibule?".

"Yes." Answered Miltia.

"Why?" continued Melanie.

"YANG!" All four students replied.

They rushed to the door, ignoring the safety protocols being announced on the speakers, but when they climbed the stairs, there was an explosion and one of the bouncers came flying through the doors crashing on the opposite wall. They all got up and went running through the smoke finding Yang holding one of the security guards by the neck of his shirt with both hands.

Once she saw them, the twins, Junior and the rest of security, she quickly dropped him and raised her hands in the air. "I did nothing! I swear!".

* * *

The council of the Elder gods was a structure that existed on a plain of reality to which mortals referred to as 'The Heavens'. It was a wasteland with cosmic properties that laid in perfect entropy. All except for a structure that held six platforms on a circular formation and a pillar in the middle of it. On top of each platform was a giant throne in which shadowy figures sat in complete stillness.

The tranquility was broken when a blue lighting fell on top of the pillar and the shadows became translucent humanoid figures of beings with different shapes and forms. The lighting then took the form of a kneeling Raiden to whom the figures spoke in unison.

"You arrive earlier than expected, thunder god. We sense trouble within you; speak your mind".

"Elder Gods! As requested, ever since those dimensional rifts appeared, I feared that Shao Kahn or the remains of Shinnok's cult would try to use them for their evil purpose. The essence of this other world also feels tainted with evil from our reality and it falls into place with the sudden disappearance of beings from here. But we have found something more worrying". Raiden then took out the knife that Fujin found and produced a bigger astral projection of it. "This knife was made in the other world. And it is marked with the kamidogu from Orderrealm".

"You suggest that the Realm of Order has ill intentions towards the other world?".

"I do not know, I come here looking for answers from you. They have isolated themselves from all other realms. Entering it without authorization from you or their gods is a transgression".

"We Elder Gods do not interfere with decisions of mortals or their actions. We only act when the existence of the realms is threatened. In that same way, the location and users of those rifts are unknown to us in the same way as the portals created by Shinnok's amulet".

"Are you saying there is no way to find out who is carrying out these actions?".

"While we respect the decisions made the inhabitants of the realms, this knife proves that Orderrealm is acting differently from what Grava has told us".

"What do you mean? Is the protector of Order lying?".

"That is about to be determined". As soon as they finished, their eyes began to glow and a moment later a purple woman wearing a white kimono and her black hair in a bun materialized next to Raiden. She then bowed to the Elder Gods.

"Lord Raiden, Elder Gods, I answer your call. What can I do for you?".

"Grava. You reported that no rifts have been found in your realm".

"Indeed. Despite the Senate's best efforts, no rifts have been found".

Raiden then stepped closer to her holding the knife. "Then how do you explain this!?".

Grava looked as Raiden showed her the kamidogu engraved on the sheath.

"A standard knife engraved with a figure you and I know. What is your point?"

"My point, Grava, is that I found it in the other world. A universe Orderrealm can't reach unless they can create a portal to it!".

Enraged, Grava slaped the knife out of Raiden's hand and confronted him directly to his face "You dare accuse me of lying to Elder Gods!?" she then stepped away to address the Elder Gods once again "Seido is a realm of peace, we seek no conflict with other realms. Outworld's civil war, the return of Edenia, the power void in the Netherrealm are events which do not interest us". She then slowly turned towards Raiden. "Why are you so quick to believe this tale? He kept Shinnok's amulet after his defeat, a weapon which can create untraceable portals. How do we know he did not just use it to frame my realm?".

Raiden crossed his arms as he rebutted her question. "I casted the amulet into the Dream Realm, Grava. And even if I kept it, what would Earthrealm gain from it?".

"Three invasion attempts from Shao Kahn, one that almost succeeded and ended with the deaths of almost all of your champions. Shinnok being almost able to claim your realm's life source. Maybe the 'blunder-god' has had enough and wishes to… show some strength? The amulet is powerful… but also a source of corruption!".

"Enough, Grava!" The Elder Gods demanded. "Raiden was tasked by us to investigate the other world. If he claims he found proof of seidans acting there, then we believe him. We believe that there are rifts in your realm, and we believe they are being used. You will give Raiden access to Seido, and that is final!".

Defeated, Grava just bowed and then looked directly at Raiden. "You may enter, but the realm remains closed to any other god or mortal!". She then grabbed Raiden and they both teleported away, the Elder Gods became shadows, and the realm fell into complete silence once again.

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_**Me: I'll have a head start on the number of chapters so even if I fail to write a new chapter one week, I'll have a backup to go to.**_  
_**End of the year crunch: ORLY?**_

_**Sorry it took me long to update after a constant flow the first month.**_

_**Comments are more than welcome!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Writting fight scenes is hard! Hope I did justice.**_

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"So… if you study in Haven, why did you come to Vale?" asked a small mouse eared faunus with red eyes and combed white hair wearing a black suit with turquoise tie. He must have been just 18 and was already head of human resources.

"To the Vytal Festival, of course!"

"Ok. Checks out… and why work here?".

'To spy on your corrupt asses', he thought. "Well, I am running out of money, and the competition is still some months away".

"I noticed that you've been in the city for a while now… but only recently did you make the paperwork. Care to explain?"

'What did Blake tell me? Suck up to their rules, not their bosses?' "Well, for the most part I've been a carefree person, and I don't feel like I've accomplished much. I guess it took me being broke to understand the importance of organizing my life".

His interviewer eyed him from his chest up. A normal white shirt that was not properly buttoned-up and had the collar up along with a black tie that was way too lose. He would have rejected the monkey faunus if it weren't for the fact that first: The Night Beetle did not evaluate personal presentation on the interview; and two: He liked what he saw in Sun.

"Ok, Mr.… Wukong… finally: Are you expecting any position in particular?"

He then remembered Ruby's exact orders 'You need to apply for a waiter, they have access to the corporate offices on floors 13 to 17 three times a day'. "I think waiter would do".

"Really? But your resume doesn't include the training".

"Yeah, but look at these guns! And my tail gives me balance. I do have the best records in balance of my year, you can check my student records; I'm not lying".

"Hmmmm… Meh, can't be worse than the last guy. Congratulations, Sun. Welcome to the Seido family!". They both shook hands and the mouse Faunus then moved from behind his desk to being next to Sun. The guy was shorter than the monkey faunus by at least 4 inches and had a very light body buil. He stood behind Sun, pulled out a measuring tape, and proceeded to measure and write down his measurements at an impressive speed.

He then moved to his computer and typed all the data he gathered. "Great, now I'll send these, and we'll just have to wait for the shop to make your uniform. Sadly, this process will take some time, your chest is larger than average when compared to your toosh-" A bell rang and a bellhop came in with Sun's new uniform. "Thank goodness, I thought it would never get here! Here you go Sun, we expect you on Monday, first hour!". He finally handed Sun the uniform which he then took slowly. "If you have any doubts just give me a call".

"Thanks, Mr… uh… you never really gave me your name".

The faunus blinked a few times before laughing. "Oh, silly me. Pardon my distracted mind. Call me Maurice".

As they shook hands again, Sun felt that it was weird how during the interview Maurice went from normal and professional to almost cartoony.

Then clock then marked four in the afternoon and Sun was ready to go but stopped when he noticed that Maurice went completely still. It took him some seconds before he moved again, now on hyper mode.

"Oh wow, look at the time! And I am already over with my interviews. How many were they? Two? Six? Ten? Twenty!? Ha Ha! I lost track of you guys".

"You... do know I am the only one here, right?"

Maurice looked at him but said nothing, creeping Sun even further.

"Aaaany way… I think I should be leaving. See you on monday". Just as Sun turned the door handle, Maurice placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"Where do you think you are going?" He asked coldly and emotionless. Sun felt the pressure grow and was surprised that the little man was actually causing him pain. But again, in a matter of seconds, he returned to his hyper self. "It's four Sun! Which means all new employees get a tour of the hotel and a glimpse at the Seido Industries HQ!".

Maurice dragged Sun through another door which lead to a small presentation room where a giant and bald crocodile faunus, a nerdy looking human with mushroom haircut and thick glasses, and a middle-aged chubby woman sat.

Maurice changed to the professional persona that Sun met. "Thank you all for coming. We are happy to welcome you into our family. And now, without further a due, please follow me".

Throughout the tour, Sun discovered many blind spots he could use to hide things. Many of the guards acted by protocol and only investigated something if it looked out of place in an obvious way. But what brought Sun more curiosity was the lack of security cameras, although this would make the job infinitely easier. "Uh, Maurice, sir… How come there are no-".

"Security cameras?" the mouse faunus finished his question. "For the privacy and commodity of our clients. But don't worry, a stolen item has never left the premises of the hotel. Why, when I was a cleaner during my parole, I got busted stealing used swimsuits before the first guests even noticed".

Everyone stopped on their tracks while they looked at Maurice with disbelief. Not so much as to what he did, but at how nonchalantly admitted it.

Maurice noticed their sudden stop and looked at them not understanding what they were doing. After a few seconds, he seemed to have understood. "Oh, don't worry. I'm cured now! Wait… did I forget to mention our retirement spa, the Pyramid?" everyone just nodded. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out some brochures of what looked like a country house. "Some would call it a 'correctional', but it's actually a therapeutic center that will help you abandon your criminal ways and appreciate all that Seido Industries offers you!".

"And I know what you are thinking!" Maurice's explanation was interrupted by a man in a suit and white hair who arrived with another man. "You can't abuse of the Pyramid as a constant free vacation spot. Not that any of their former visitors have even attempted to do it".

'The famous Hotaru and Ryu that the guys mentioned' Sun deduced.

"Mr. Taakoizu, Mr. Jin! I was just giving our new employees a tour. What brings you here?".

"Maurice, you forgot your medical examination".

"That was… today…?"

"Yes, Maurice. Look!" Hotaru took out a scroll and showed a long list of people. At first Sun thought they might have been employees, but they seemed to be more than those of a regular hotel. But indeed, there was a blinking red picture of Maurice. "Now, go to the lower floor and get yourself checked out. we'll take it from here".

"Oh, thank you Mr. Taakoizu". With a final bow, Maurice proceeded to the employees' elevator and Hotaru turned to look at all of them. His once warm smile was gone as they felt like being judged by his cold stare and were facing the death penalty if he saw anything he didn't like. Sun, specially, felt the sweat forming in his brow, fearing that he might have been discovered.

"Quite a small batch. But it doesn't matter". Hotaru then relaxed and invited them to continue the tour.

* * *

Although Sun never learned the names of any of his new co-workers, he was shown the installation in which each of them would be working. The woman was going to be a receptionist, the boy wanted to be a security guard and the crocodile faunus would be in the kitchen on cake decoration duty.

"And finally, Mr. Wukong, allow us to present you our-".

"Mr. Taakoizu! Mr. Taakoizu!" A man wearing a normal black suit came running from the elevator entrance, clearly not an employee. "I must speak with you, please! It's urgent!". Everyone then noticed his unkept dog tail, another faunus.

"I already told him and all of you, I have the week occupied with other matters and I am not changing my-" he was interrupted when the dog faunus dragged him and Ryu to the other side of the dining room. The man, clearly altered by something, kept moving his hands while explaining something. "THEY DID WHAT!?" yelled Hotaru, scaring every guest and worker present.

Scarier, however, was Ryu, who took the dessert trolly with one hand and threw it to the upper level, breaking the door to the rooster room. He seemed to be ready to go on a rampage but was stopped by Hotaru. When he realized that all eyes were on him, he then slowly retreated to the second floor and to the dragon room followed by the faunus.

Hotaru quickly reached the group and offered an explanation. "My deepest apologies. But a very urgent matter requires my attention. Please leave, and we'll see you all on Monday".

Hotaru then quickly ran to the dragon room. All the waiters went to calm the guests and Sun was just left speechless as to what happened.

* * *

The doors closed with a booming slam and Hotaru turned to face the now sitting faunus gangster, Cerv.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU LOST A CARGO OF DRUGS AND AMMUNITION!?"

"It was not lost, sir. It was stolen" explained the faunus.

"Really? Aren't you the 'Feared Faunus Cartel of Mistral'?" He asked while circling him. "Aren't you 'The masters of all deals between Vale and Mistral'? I've taken care of all possible competitors and you only had one job: Deliver the goods to Malachite! WHAT! WAS! SO! HARD!?".

"It wasn't just a robbery. It was also an ambush" Hotaru stopped and turned to his direction slowly noticing that Ryu was also staring at him with a hand on his chin "Also, they didn't just take the cargo… the boss was kidnapped… and they sent you a message". The man took a piece of paper out of his coat and handed it to Hotaru.

_"Want the goods and the mut back? One million Lien in cash by the end of the month._

_Higanbana tavern. Be there!"._

"Bandits…" Hotaru crumpled the note and looked at Ryu who nodded his head. He then moved towards the telephone on his desk and picked up the handle. After some time, he spoke "my lord, we need to talk". He then hanged up and they all waited in silence.

After a few minutes, the TV screen turned on and the faunus was presented with an imposing silhouette and reptilian yellow eyes. He had heard the stories from those present at the first meeting, but the tales did not live up to what he was seeing.

"L-l-l-l-lord Onaga?"

"Explanation! NOW!"

He almost fell from his chair, but his explanation started and went on non-stop. "We were carrying the goods through land since air security was getting tough! We didn't want to risk detection; but someone snitched to the bandits and they ambushed us! He told them everything, about Seido, all our partners, operations, you name it!".

"So, you know who this person is?"

"Yes! We did a background check! He was a member of the security ring but called in sick before leaving! When news of the assault came, we knew it was too much for a coincidence! Turns out he was a member from the bandit tribe."

"Bandit tribe?" Then asked Hotaru. "Then you also know who the perpetrators are?"

"Yes, sir… it was the Branwen tribe"

The room fell into silence. Hotaru and Ryu looked at each other, and then at him. "You've done well. Leave".

The faunus was confused. He knew that his gang would be demanding to know what actions would be taken. "But… sir! What should I-?".

"Go! We'll take care of this!" Hotaru then walked towards him, and placed his face directly in front of his. "That is all you need to know". He remained still looking at the screen, then at Ryu and then back at Hotaru. He stood up and walked away slowly, bowing on his way out. But instead of leaving, as instructed, he pressed his ear next to the closed door. He was going to get answers one way or another. But he was not expecting the conversation that followed.

"Kollector, get to my office now! There has been a change of plans" he then heard the phone being smacked back in the base.

Onaga spoke once again. "I told you we should have dealt with them since the beginning!"

"Yes, my lord. I underestimated them. The blame is mine, and mine alone".

"We've been away from Orderrealm and Lei Chen for too long now. We needed that time to move along with my plan!"

"My lord, if I may: Bandits are ruthless, but not undefeatable. Orderrealm needs you more than it needs me. This was my fault, allow me to amend my mistakes".

"Why should I trust you with the elimination of that bandit tribe?"

"They are nothing more than a smaller and more undisciplined version of the seidan resistance. Same modus operandi but without the military objective. It would be like attracting moths to a flame".

After a moment of silence, Onaga spoke again: "What do you have in mind?"

"Recently I received an invitation to an event in Atlas. I planned on ignoring it, but now, on my way there, I will face this problem. Personally".

"I want results, Hotaru! Our cargo, our ally back, the Branwen tribe dead!"

"It shall be done, my lord"

Cerv would have kept listening, but he felt a pair of hands held his wrists on his back as well as his head on a neck hold. He then heard the doors being opened by another guy before being pushed back inside. He fell forward and saw Hotaru kneeling and Ryu sitting on the desk.

"A spy!" Said a raspy voice behind him. One of the people who caught him, Cerv deduced.

"I was not spying, don't listen to them…" when Cerv turned around to face his captors, he was surprised at first with there being only one person. One of the famous Naknada, but his surprise turned into horror once he saw four arms with long fingernails coming out of the man.

"Wha… what…?" He then panicked once his captor pulled out what looked like a chained mace.

"Kollector, stop!" ordered Hotaru.

Cerv looked at the white-haired man once again. He only stood up and began to walk towards him.

"Cerv, Cerv, Cerv. You had your orders. And yet you do this?" He then crossed his arms behind his back while looking at Cerv. "Now you know too much. And we can't have that".

Cerv knew pleading was going to be useless at this point. "What… are you going to do?".

"I believe you've earned yourself sometime in the Pyramid".

Before he could express his confusion, he felt a quick smack on his head and fell unconscious.

"Close the doors and have security take him out. In the meantime, we have some planning to do, Kollector" Hotaru then stopped before looking at the naknada once again "And put your disguise on. You're already turning blue".

* * *

"I did nothing! I swear!". Yelled Yang with her hands up. The goon's body fell on the floor again and she could feel the anger coming from the Malachite twins and Junior. Her friends just looking at the disaster on which she stood.

Before Junior could order his men to shoot, Weiss reasoned with him. "She is weaponless! And there was a red level threat!"

"FINE! TALK NOW!"

Once the weapons were lowered, Yang recalled the events that transpiered.

* * *

Yang sat on the chair, bored beyond her wildest dreams waiting for her friends to come out. No audio meant she could only read the breaking news.

_'Dust prices down by 5%. Strange wind patterns blamed on miners from Atlas. Kahn vs. Kahn, the tale of two fangs. Faunus roleplay considered racist by minor activist groups "We can't monitor couples on their bedrooms" police say'._

The only thing keeping her awake was doing mental commentary on people who went inside. She had already seen a group of five boys with way too much cologne, skintight clothes and shades talking about scoring girls, but most likely walking home alone. Two men and two women who were way too overdressed for a dance club. And three girls who were already drunk in the middle of the day.

She sighed and then saw two men walk in and heading for the scanner. 'Blue Parka at the end of spring? Weirdo. Leather jacket with yellow spikes? Meh, not my vibe. Are they wearing the same shirt model? One blue and the other yellow? Hold it, they actually have the same beard and mustache! Yellow has a ponytail though… and color-coded caps? Meh, anyway, back to my-'.

An alarm began to sound inside the room and both entrances were locked with metal doors. The two guys assumed a fighting pose and got back to back as the walls opened and a total of six guards armed with dust powered machine guns stepped into the vestibule.

"Seems you were right" noted the yellow guy.

"Kind of hurt you didn't trust me" joked the blue one.

As soon the guards opened fire, both men rolled in opposite directions and then sweep kicked two of the guards. The blue guy took his grunt as a shield while the other quickly stood up and grabbed the heads of two other guards to then knock them against each other, he then took the gun from another one and headbutted him, taking the gun and slamming it against the guard's head breaking the weapon in the process. The blue guy grabbed his human shield by the collar and the belt, rotated his body and threw the grunt at the last guard.

Weaponless and feeling like helping neither side, Yang hid behind the couch and just kept watching.

All six guys got up and with a wrist movement, electric brass knuckles came out from their shirt sleeves. They divided in order to fight three against one, but the colored guys were more than ready. Yellow gave a quick succession of five strong punches to the chest of the first, ducked a punch from the second before delivering an uppercut but was kicked on his left abdomen by the third; strong enough to hurt him, but not enough to make him fall.

Blue blocked the punches from two of his opponents, but a powerful punch in his stomach from the third guy sent him crashing into the TV. The screen broke, but the machine was still in one piece. When the guy that punched him came running at him, blue just tore the TV from the wall and smashed the grunt's head with it. Blue then charged at the stunned man, rammed into him and dragged him until they both crashed against another grunt and then the wall, the first guy fell to the ground, finally defeated, while the second received a barrage of punches to the face.

While that happened, Yellow roundhouse kicked one of the grunts and dodged and incoming punch. He grabbed the extended arm of his attacker, punched his elbow and then threw him over his shoulder against the other guy. He turned around to see his friend punching one of his goons and another guard grabbing one of the discarded machine guns.

Yellow then grabbed a chained spear head and threw it at the guy before he could fire. Once the attached itself to the grunt, Yellow yelled 'GET OVER HERE!'. He then pulled the chain and the grunt flew towards him. Before contact was made, Yellow did a flip kick that sent the grunt flying back and crashing to the door, but not breaking it.

"Behind you!" Yelled blue as he finally let his opponent fall. Yellow looked behind and quickly dodge a left hook. He then grabbed the guard by his shoulders, and threw him towards blue who punched his guts. He then grabbed him by the neck and pushed him towards his ally. "Power core is in the abdomen!". Blue broke the scanner and pulled out some wires that still carried electricity and punched the grunt's gut with it.

The guy shook for a few seconds before seemingly blowing up and destroying the metal door that lead to the club.

When some of the smoke dissipated, Yang noticed that the guys had disappeared and went to check on the grunt that apparently blew up. She was surprised, however, when she noticed that the place where blue had punched seemed to be made of metal surrounded by a fake skin. She picked up the guy by his collar in order to get a better look, but stopped and looked to the door when she heard people entering and pointing guns at her.

Knowing what everyone was thinking, she dropped the body and placed her hands in the air while yelling "I did nothing! I swear!".

* * *

Yang told everyone present what happened, but left out the mechanical chest part fearing that it could bring her more trouble than anything; specially since her group managed to warn her that Junior was working with Seido.

Feeling like a whole day was wasted, Jaune's team decided to head home. They retrieved their stuff at the exit and felt a little better when they received a text from Ren confirming that 'The monkey ate a beetle'.

Jaune was checking Crocea Mors when he noticed a sticker behind the sheath. It had an address and the message: _'Section 5, first shelf. 8:30 pm tomorrow. Just you and blue. I know what you are looking for'._

Deciding the best course of action was to get away from Seido as soon as possible to plan their next move. Jaune convinced everyone to go back to Beacon.

* * *

The water splash on the burlap sack over her head finally woke her up. She coughed and took heavy breaths once the sack was removed from her and she was also thankful that the lights were not so bright as to blind her. Before long, however she was greeted with two female figures: one green haired with dark skin, and an older woman with long black hair and white skin. From behind her, a young man with silver hair walked to step next to the dark-haired woman.

"Wha...? Who…? What is going on?" The woman asked groggily. She then remembered the events that happened before:

She and her counterfeit buddies had just received notice that their organization was allowed into the Seido deal and were celebrating at a tavern in Vacuo. She was drunk, but still able to walk. She was heading home while her friends had long since passed out in the tavern when suddenly a giant tanned man approached her and knocked her out with a single punch. "Please, cooperate" he told her before delivering the blow.

"You… that guy…?" She said slowly.

"Yes, yes; Hazel over did it. But stay focused, girl!" The dark-haired woman told her. She then grabbed her by the chin and raised her head. "We've done this before with others" she then directed her eyes to a pile of burned bodies "So, if you want to walk out of here, I suggest you tell me EXACTLY what I want". The woman then produced a sword that seemed to be made from fire.

The girl looked at her, the fear in her eyes more than obvious. She signed up for easy lien, not criminal honor. She would sing like a bird if needed.


	8. Chapter 8

**_Slow chapter, but things will turn into gear soon enough._**

**_Will change the rating to M with next chapter._**

**_Comments are always welcome_**

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Saturday night went normally for every student at Beacon. After dinner, some went to spar, others to do their homework, keep in touch with potential love interests and more. Some students, however, headed towards the library on separated groups. Nora, Blake and Yang were the first to enter and sat on a table at the far end of the second floor. Yang and Ren arrived a few minutes later, then Pyrrha and Sun; and finally, Jaune, Ruby and Neptune. And since everyone was there, they could get straight to business.

Nora pushed a marker board next to the table and Ruby stood next to it with the intention to lead the meeting.

"Ok, everyone. Firstly: I want to congratulate Sun, who will be starting to work at The Night Beetle in two days. Now, anything you can tell us now, Sun?"

Sun stepped up and began to write on the board while talking. "Some nice hiding spots next to garbage disposals, some broom closets and got a quick schedule of the exact offices eating hours. More to come on Monday".

"Great! Ren? Blake?".

Ren spoke first. "Infiltration suits coming along nicely".

Then Blake did. "lock picking tools and hard drives will arrive at Tuesday any time".

"Great! On to our investigators!" Ruby proclaimed excitedly. The other five teens though? Did not so happy.

Weiss spoke first. "Junior was useless. He works for Seido now and almost discovered we were also looking for Torchwick".

Nora then interjected. "Big loaf claimed to be out of the intel business. As if we would believe that the White Fang has completely abandoned Vale and move to Vacuo. I know they are plotting our demise right now! But I won't give up my search for justice!". Nora claimed with a raised fist.

Neptune then decided to ignore Nora's outburst and summarize their failure. "In conclusion: There are no White Fang members to find, therefore we can't find the mysterious woman and so we can't pin Torchwick from our side".

Jaune then stepped next to the board. "Not quite…". Everyone looked at him, curiosity bright on their eyes. Jaune then pulled out the note. "When we were leaving, this was pasted on Crocea Mors. It has an address and instructions. Whoever sent it, I believe has information on the Fang or that woman".

"Why didn't you say something before!?" Yang demanded.

"In the middle of Seido territory?".

"Oh… good point…".

"There is only one catch. This person wants to meet me and Neptune. Alone".

Everyone went silent or a moment before Nora expressed her concern. "Am I the only one thinking of a trap? Because I don't want to be the only one thinking this is a trap".

Pyrrha was next to express her concern. "Are you really considering it, Jaune?".

"Do we have any other choice? This is the only lead we may have".

Despite Jaune's conviction, the worrying faces of all the other students told him he was still far from gaining their approval.

"… Really? Come on, guys!"

Ren then tried to reason with Jaune. "Do you even know who could have given you the note?".

"I… no… but we'll be ok. We are huntsmen in training!".

Weiss then expressed her concern. "Didn't you just describe Junior's as Seido territory? They were the only ones we talked with about the White Fang. And eve if it wasn't any of them but an eavesdropper, are you willing to trust a stranger like that?".

"We can defend ourselves!".

"Enough!" Yelled Pyrrha. "Jaune… are you really sure about this?".

"Yes! Trust me, I have a good feeling about it, Pyrr".

At that moment, the look of pure confidence in his blue eyes was almost stronger than her protective side. She didn't know if she would blame herself forever if everything that could go wrong went wrong, but against all logic she agreed. "Ok, the I trust you". Before Jaune could jump from happiness and everyone else started to bombard her with questions about what she was doing, she added "But! Blake and Ren will be watching from afar".

Jaune was willing to compromise. So, he agreed to her terms. They were ready to round all up when Nora checked her scroll and called for everyone's attention. "Guys look at this!". They all got close to her and saw that she had a news feed open.

_SSS to be tested on villages_

Nora then played the video.

_(A narration starts playing over images of The Night Beetle)_

_The new conglomerate doesn't stop surprising the world. The Seidan Security System, abbreviated SSS by the company, seeks to reduce the grimm attacks and plunderers in rural Mistral._

_(Hotaru appears on screen, surrounded by microphones)_

_It is not that we do not appreciate the fine jobs our huntsmen and huntresses do every day while putting their lives on the line. But safety is a matter that concerns all; that is the reason why I will personally travel to these villages. To tell them they will be safe, that they don't need to fear and that we do care about the little guy._

_(a reporter then manages to get a question)_

_Mr. Taakoizu are bandits that much of a threat as grimm._

_Do you know how these impotent cowards work? They attack defenseless people, kill the ones who are most capable of fighting, loot everything and then leave so that the grimm clean their revolting actions. I, for one, am done with those bottom feeders leeching from everyone else._

_(The narrator's voice can be heard once again)_

_The company invites all who are interested to their demonstrations in a public matter all throughout next week. Lisa Lavender, VNN._

"Hotaru will be out next week?" Asked Yang enthusiastically.

Sun continued her thought. "Which means that if we play our cards right…".

"We could get into his office!" Ruby finally cheered. Everyone then started to plan what else they could do with the CEO out of town. Blake and Weiss, however, held back their celebration.

"Weird…" said Weiss. "The way he talked… it sounded like father… it's almost as if he was…".

"Taunting them?" interjected Blake.

Blake and Weiss knew that something was not right, that kind of actions meant someone wanted their enemies to attack them for whatever reason; Jacques and Adam had used them often enough for the girls to see the pattern. But there was nothing they could do about it. The only thing left for them to do was to wait for Sunday night.

* * *

The morning and afternoon came and went without most happening. But once night fell, it was action time.

To differentiate themselves enough, Neptune left his googles and changed his red jacket for a black t-shirt and a cap. Jaune left his armor behind and had the hood on. Blake jumped through the roofs following them and keeping Neptune's Tri-Hard while Ren went in front of them scouting and keeping Crocea Mors in a backpack. The address on the paper showed the old part of Vale. It was a mix of abandoned buildings and still functioning ones. They tried to search where they were heading, but no names appeared on the map due to owners not uploading information.

Needless to say, at this hour everything was very quiet. So much so, that Neptune was getting bored. They were still some blocks away and he decided to pass the minutes in conversation with Jaune.

"So… You seem sure about this meeting… You ARE at least aware of the risks though, right?".

Jaune sighed, but answered his question. "Yes! I know, but it is our only lead and I can do it".

"What is it with this 'I'; last time I checked it was the two of us here".

"Well… yes but… look, you saw how everyone was looking at me when I suggested going. They were not afraid something would happen to you, they feared something could happen to me".

"Yeah… why is that though?"

"Well… I am not necessarily the best fighter out there".

Neptune looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Don't beat yourself up, you can't be that bad" After a long silence in which Jaune both said nothing and looked away, Neptune understood. "But… Pyrrha trusted you! That's good, right?"

"Yeah… I've gotten better because of her. Not only in combat class. She tutors me, is always reminding me of things I forget. I just feel like I should somehow compensate her for all she has done for me. She is just that great!".

"Oh! So, she is just that? Great?".

It took Jaune a few moments before realizing what Neptune was implying and then blushed a little before quickly responding. "No! It's not like that! She is just a really good friend! I mean, she even helped me after learning about my-" he thanked whatever deity was out there before revealing his fake transcripts, but now he needed to keep going with a lie "former… extra…toe…".

"Former extra toe? Huh, guess it is kind of embarrassing…". Jaune then felt relaxed knowing Neptune fell for his excuse. "Is she just a friend though? Sounds like she is very close to you".

"Please. She has won multiple championships, is one of if not the best student in our year and… well yes, she is pretty. But do you honestly believe I would even have the slightest chance with her? She is nice to all people and is always wanting to help, don't get that mixed up".

Neptune crossed his arms and kept pushing forward the subject. "From my understanding you were trying to lure Weiss, also known as the heiress of the SDC".

"Yeah, but that's just because I felt like she could use someone to help her open up and show her there are good people who like her for more than just her name. But I understand that ship sailed away a long time ago". Knowing that Jaune meant his relationship with Weiss, Neptune decided to drop the subject.

They remained silent a short time after finishing their conversation until Jaune felt his scroll vibrating. He took it out of his pocket and read a message that Ren had sent him.

_Heads up! The place should be next to you._

Both Neptune and Jaune looked to their right and saw an abandoned glass factory. Gates were rusty, windows smashed, some walls had collapsed, and they saw a few dogs, cats and rats going in and out of the building.

Jaune gulped and turned around to face Neptune. "You ready for this?"

Neptune took some long breaths. and then faced Jaune "Ok. Let's do this".

But just as Jaune was pushing the old gate open, a new text from Ren arrived.

_Sorry. Thought you were closer to me. It's the next one._

Both boys looked at each other with confusion and then just looked over a few feet away where Ren was just pretending to be waiting in front of what seemed a still functioning structure. When they arrived however, they did not know whether to feel anger, indignation, let down or insulted. But the address was, indeed, the one on the paper.

"A supermarket? Really?" sighed Jaune.

* * *

The place was actually quite clean and organized considering the state of some of the neighboring buildings. It wasn't a super store, but it did have two cashiers in uniform and a cleaning staff, some ambient music and functioning freezers.

They were startled, however, when one of the clerks, an old woman wearing the store's uniform, greeted them. "Welcome to Carula, only the best imported products from the other kingdoms for 75 years! How may I help you tonight"?

Neptune spoke first "Uuuuuh, thanks but…"

"We already know what we are looking for". With that, Jaune pulled Neptune by the arm and went on their way.

Knowing that the meeting would take place in a supermarket, it was not hard to realize that the meeting would not be on the abandoned fifth sector of a factory, but on the fifth aisle; and the first shelf?

"Ok, here we are. Cereals" Neptune pointed out.

"And it is 8:31 since just a few seconds ago, but I see no one".

Neptune thought for a moment and then picked up one of the cereal boxes. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"We're gonna have to buy all the boxes we break".

They each took a box and were ready to open them to look for the information, but were stopped by an annoyed yet soft command from behind them.

"Don't even think about it, you idiots!"

That voice… it was familiar to both. Had to be one of the Malachite twins. They turned around to face her and saw she was looking at the other shelf while wearing black leggings, a white dress jacket, a big puffy hat and a pair of big thick glasses.

"Look back at the shelf!" she commanded again, and both followed her order.

A little annoyed, Neptune then spoke to her. "Did you just bring us here to scold us!?"

"No, you are here because a public place is better for all parties involved. If something happens there are witnesses. Why do you think Junior owns a club?"

"Ok, fine. So why couldn't you tell us at the club, uh… which sister are you again?"

"I would rather keep that information to myself, and we said nothing because there is nothing to talk about the White Fang!" she then moved next to them and continued her explanation. "What Junior said is true, the White Fang is completely out of Vale. After the failed dust robberies, the Vale branch was weak, that caused trouble for the organization and since in-fighting was at an all-time high, they are now fighting each other. Move to the other shelf behind me".

The boys did as they were told and Jaune was the one who asked this time. "Ok, but what about their associate? And don't try to fool us. We know there is one".

"No duh! Of course, there is… or rather was… she skipped town when the White Fang left".

"But you knew her!"

"We didn't know her! Roman was an intermediary between us. She paid him, he paid us, we offered people. That was it. And before you ask, yes that included the Paladins The only thing I can tell you about her is that roman referred to her as 'The Black Queen'. Move down two products after I move first!".

They all moved, and Neptune continued with their conversation. "Stealing dust and for the White Fang and giving them Atlas military equipment, and she just moves away?".

"I'm telling you: She did! Because Seido came into the picture… and that is the reason I wanted you here".

This intrigued the boys; did she know about the other team?

"Seido Industries? Why?" asked Jaune.

"There is something bad happening in that company… A few months ago, some of our worst performing men were taken to this 'therapeutic center' they called The Pyramid. When they returned, they did their job better, but they are different… like… life has been sucked out of them, they only seem to act normal when you talk to them. And the faunus? They came back even worse?"

She then moved next to them and they caught on with what she wanted them to do. They just walked to stan next to her other side. "What faunus? Junior does not employ faunus as far as I know".

She took a deep breath and continued with her answers. "We work with other organizations. Some which have faunus members".

"Ok, so what about them?".

"They come back fine at first. But then they get mood swings, they become forgetful or slow, they need constant medical attention, but only by Seido personnel they tell us".

"Why are you turning on Seido?"

"They are liars. Whoever they claim to be, they are not. I've done my fair share of forgeries, I know what details to look for, and their guy is good, very good, but the devil is in the details". They moved to the end of the aisle standing on opposite shelves. "The bosses are happy by making money and not having authorities on their trail, but us on the lower levels know there is something happening. Many have tried to get to the authorities, but they know. No one likes snitches, so they are taken to The Pyramid without a second thought".

Neptune and Jaune looked at each other and then at her. "So, what do you want us to do?" asked Neptune.

"And what do we get?" complimented Jaune.

"If you bring them down, Torchwick goes with them and then the Black Queen. Make no mistake, from what I gathered, this is not the end of her. Not only the two of them, but most of the criminal world of Remnant. I only ask that Junior, my sister and I are given protection".

Both boys thought the same. This was too good to be true. Then Jaune asked her "You are offering to bring down everything? Why?"

"Seido want more than just money, I can just feel it. They are using us to get power and clear out all kind of competition. Take what you now know with Ozpin or whoever can help. Something bad is coming our way".

She left them and they would not leave until much later; and once outside, Ren and Blake received a message telling them that the mission was a success.

* * *

Immediately after making the announcement of the SSS, Hotaru began his land tour of the villages of Mistral with five other vans. Inside his personalized van he checked the map and the time while his replacement assistant just checked his schedule on her scroll. A deer faunus with a short, round and puffy tail, shoulder length brown hair, a slightly tanned skin, freckles and mall squared glasses. She was using a uniform like Ryu's, but with black leggings and a short black skirt.

"At this pace, we are going to finish this tour before scheduled!"

"Sure… we are…"

"The next stop would be… Higanbana!"

"I assumed it would be… good work, Carmen".

They both stayed quiet for a time before Carmen decided to speak to her superior again. "Thank you so much for this opportunity, Mr. Taakoizu!". If you had told this girl a week ago, she would be working as the personal assistant of the CEO where she was doing her business administration internship, she would have not only laughed in your face but would have also convinced others to join.

But now, here she was replacing his full time assistant. "I do hope nothing bad has happened to Mr. Jin, though. Did he quit?".

"Do not worry, he is helping lord Onaga with some errands back home".

This surprised her. For as long as she could remember the founder and direct boss of Hotaru was never outside of his suite.

The trip continued until the car stopped in the middle of the road. A nervous Carmen feared that keeping her boss waiting for an answer would be bad for her. She grabbed her scroll and called the first van. "This is Carmen of the lead van. What is going on".

"Sorry ma'am, but some boulders are obstructing the road. Nothing serious, give us a few min-". The call ended. She then heard some gun fire from outside. She was getting scared when she heard screams from the other vans and was even more once she saw her boss being completely calm before he addressed her.

"Carmen. From what I understand you came here as the final wish of your dying grandmother? To make something with your life and not join the White Fang like your parents and your brother?".

The questions came out of nowhere, but she just nodded and heard how someone, or something was trying to pry the doors open.

He then pulled the plastic frame from the door handle and spoke to her again. "You were also going to vouch for your brother once he was offered a parole?".

She nodded again and he just took in one deep breath. I'll grant your wish and give him a chance. If there is enough of you left, I'll do my best so that you can meet him again. Hotaru pressed the button and a thick glass surrounded him. She had a thousand questions running through her head, but the last thing she saw and heard was a giant explosion that must have come from under the van.


	9. Chapter 9

Monday morning came and both team RWBY and JNPR had to act like nothing was happening. Which was tougher than expected. Turns out Jaune and Neptune's recon turned their plans upside down; Seido Industries became their only objective and Hotaru's week off was their only shot at hitting them hard.

They sat at their regular spots in the dining hall wondering how Sun was doing on his first day. No one felt like eating and were on their own thoughts until Ozpin spoke through the intercom.

"Good morning, students. This is the headmaster with important news: Classes in the morning will be cancelled and will return to a regular schedule after lunch. Every student is then required to go to the amphitheater at 6:00 pm for a special event in our school. That is all".

Immediately, everyone began to chatter and gossip wondering what could cancel all morning classes. even the eight conspirators were distracted from their worrying thoughts. "I am not one to reject a free morning, but that is just weird" commented Yang.

Both teams remained silent until Coco and her team arrived. "Yo! Silent boy!".

Everyone looked at her and deduced she must have meant Ren. "Me?" he asked very surprised. Ren had nothing against team CFVY, but they were never all that close either.

"Yeah, we need your expertise with all this drama. Velvet, your camera please". The rabbit faunus gave Coco the object and she showed Ren and everyone else one specific photo of a bullhead, Ozpin, Goodwitch and four strangers dressed in blue, yellow, red and grey. Coco then zoomed in on the strangers before speaking again. "See them? Yatsuhashi says their clothes do look like they could come from Mistral, but he can't pinpoint a specific place. Any ideas?".

He looked closely at the picture and noticed that they did look like clothes martial artists from villages close to Kuroyuri would use. They all seemed to be wearing a black sleeveless t-shirt with their respective colored robes on top, all but red wore black pants and had a sash and shingles of their respective color. Yellow and blue had shoulder pads and hip armor; blue's were colored while yellow's were silver. Red, on the other hand, had two black sashes, black boots and black gloves. Most curious, however, was his mouth covered by black bandages and a black headband with a green gem. "I've not seen those specific patterns, but they do look similar to robes and armors used by people from where I came from".

"Anything else you can tell us?".

"They seem light on clothes and armor… my guess is that they depend more on close fighting".

Nora then grabbed the camera from Coco looking at the picture in whatever angle her body allowed her to. "Where did you get this? Who are they?".

Velvet took back her camera and began to explain. "We don't know. I was just taking pictures of the sun rise and saw that meeting at the docks".

"And you think it has something to do with Ozpin canceling classes?" asked Blake.

"I don't 'think' girl, I KNOW!" Coco then dragged Fox to the front. "This nerd here says there is a loophole in Beacon Academy's acceptance rules. I think we might be looking at new students".

As crazy as it sounded, Coco made some sense. While most of the table wondered about the new guys, Yang was very bothered about something. "Hey, Velvet… Could I have a look at the photo again?".

The rabbit faunus gave her the device and Yang went to examine one of the boys. The yellow one seemed too like the yellow guy at Junior's; but that was impossible. This guy was not as big, less than half his age and the beard was missing. Then again, that ponytail was unmistakable. Could they be related?

* * *

The free morning went without much happening. Neptune was going to be Sun's guardian from the outside. They were disappointed, however, when he told them that the use of scrolls was forbidden during work hours, so it was complete blackout until the end of the dayshift.

After lunch, there were classes as normal, but all students now noticed the color-coded new faces that sometimes roamed the halls going from one classroom to another and being chaperoned by a different teacher each time.

The end of the day came, and before dinner, every student was present and sitting at the top seats of the amphitheater. They were all chattering about the new guys who, by now, everyone figured, were the reason they were sitting here. After some minutes, Ozpin, the teachers and the new guys entered the room and took center stage.

"Good evening students! We are gathered here for an event that has not happened in a long time at this academy: A special entrance exam. Our school was founded with the idea that everyone who is capable and willing to fight the grimm should be given the chance to do so. These four young men standing behind me claim to be that; and so, we all at Beacon should put their determination to the test and see if they are worthy of standing with our first-year students as equals right now. Miss Goodwitch". The headmaster stepped aside so that the headmistress and combat instructor could take the stage.

"These people have been tested on their knowledge by normal means. However, their physical abilities will be tested in one fight against the lowest performing team among the first-year students. To choose it we took into consideration…".

Goodwith kept explaining, but both team RWBY and JNPR were now trying to console Jaune. As soon as the phrase 'lowest performing team' was spoken, everyone knew JNPR would be dragged down because of Jaune, aka, the worst fighter of their year.

"Don't worry, if they win it won't be the end of the world Jaune" Pyrrha tried to comfort him while patting his back.

Nora, on the other hand, went into overprotective mode giving the mean eye to all who giggled at Jaune's predicament.

Jaune just let his head hanging as Goodwitch ended her explanation of the selection process. "And with all these considerations, the team chosen to fight our possible new students is… team CRDL!". Every student in the amphitheater gasped and then went quiet for what felt like hours as they turned their heads trying to find them. Once they were spotted, Russel, Dove and Sky looked appalled while holding books on grimm anatomy, their scribbled notebooks and pens on their mouths, not being able to believe Goodwitch's announcement. Cardin, on the other hand, was just showing off his biceps and taking pictures with his scroll. It wasn't until Russel poked Cardin on the head with one of his pens that he noticed everyone looking at them. An awkward cough from someone in the audience made Cardin give an awkward laugh and quickly turn to his team for help. "Why is everyone looking at us!?" He whispered to them.

"Mr. Winchester would you and your team please change to your combat gear and fight our guests for their final test!".

Proudly, Cardin then stood up and commanded every other student on his way to the lockers to clear his path. "Out of the way losers. Beacon's new teachers coming through" it wasn't until Russel whispered something on his ear that his prideful smile turned into a face of pure horror and a loud "WHAT!?" could be heard by everyone present.

* * *

Team CRDL stood on the right side of the improvised arena. On the left were their opponents introduced by Goodwitch one by one.

"Kuai Liang Xue" The one in blue stepped forward, his most noticeable physical trait being the long scar over his right eye. "Hanzo Hasashi" The yellow one with a ponytail and two katanas on his right hip then stepped forward. "Tomas Vrbada" the grey one with shoulder length silver hair and machinations on his wrists followed. "And Jerrod Ermac" the red one, and the strangest looking of the group, stepped forward. "Should you defeat team CRDL with at least one of you remaining with your aura above the red level in a one round match, you will have passed the fighting test. She then held two folders, one on each hand. "In these folders you'll find key information about your rivals. Learn as much as you can about them to make the best strategy. You have ten minutes".

Kuai Liang and Cardin went to retrieve their respective folders. Cardin, however, threw it aside. "We don't need help defeating a batch of newbies". Kuai Liang was not affected by Cardin's words, but he just gave the other boy a look of pity.

The ten minutes went by and the newcomers were ready. The stats of both teams were displayed on a giant screen and as a final act, Kuai Liang and Tomas put on blue and silver metal mouth mask respectively while Hanzo put on a golden one with nostrils carved on the top part.

"Ready?" Goodwitch asked looking at both teams.

Cardin and his team had their weapons drawn and so did the newcomers. Jerrod took a silver rod from his belt which turned into a single bladed battleax, Tomas's wrist mechanisms turned into trident heads and Hanzo unsheathed both katanas; Kuai Liang only took a fighting stance.

"Set!" Goodwitch continued.

Cardin noticed Kuai Liang being unarmed and decided to taunt his foe before the battle. "What are you gonna do, blue-boy? Slap me to death?".  
Kuai Liang decided to answer him. "Ever heard the tale of the tiger and the baboon with the overcompensating stick?" he asked him.

Some laughs could be heard from the audience, JNPR specially. This hurt Cardin more than the insult itself. "Yeah!? Well… size doesn't matter!" 'Wait… that came out wrong… GRAAAAAH, I hate these guys!'.

"BEGIN!" Goodwitch finally yelled.

Both teams remained still for a few seconds just looking at each other. It wasn't until Kuai Liang yelled "Kai-Shi" that the newcomers began their attack.

Hanzo and Tomas ran towards CRDL, Tomas taking the lead. CRDL was readying their defense when Tomas stopped halfway, placed his right hand perpendicular to his left hand and covered the center of the arena with a thick layer of smoke. CRDL were then briefly confused by a bright yellow light that came from the cloud and then by Hanzo who had appeared from behind them punching Russel in the back and sending him to the ground.

The other members were ready to attack Hanzo all at once, but Sky was hen pulled into the air while being surrounded by a green light and Cardin was stopped by suddenly being frozen by an ice blast that came from behind the cloud. Dove was left speechless as roundhouse kick from Hanzo sent him flying towards the cloud. He was able to see tridents attached to elastic wires coming from the cloud, getting stuck to the ground behind him and then a gray boot hitting his face at a high speed.

Cardin managed to get his head out of the his ice prison and was trying to get the rest of his body out when he noticed Kuai Liang sliding through the floor and hitting him at with his shoulder, breaking the ice and sending Cardin rolling a couple of feet away.

Sky looked at the fight happening when suddenly was pulled forward and landed on his face. He levitated once more and was then heading towards Jerrod who gave a high kick right on Sky's throat.

Once everyone was fighting one on one and the smoke started to dissipate, Russel, Dove and Sky stood up and went on the offensive. All of Sky's attacks with his halberd were blocked by Jerrod's axe. Hanzo and Russel's fight went almost the same with both boys switching between attacking and blocking. Tomas and Kuai Liang, however, took a different approach; the first moving all over the arena and deflecting Dove's bullets with his tridents while the second stood next to Cardin who had just managed to stand up. Cardin charged at the other man, but Kuai Liang jumped to Cardin's left as the floor where he once stood on received the full might of Cardin's attack. Kuai Liang then covered his fists with ice clubs which he used to disarm Cardin by delivering a strong chop to his arms and then to punch him four times, breaking the clubs in the process and finishing his offensive with a kick to his chest.

Dove kept firing when his opponent suddenly turned into a cloud of smoke. He was so fixated by it he didn't notice the cloud reforming on top of him and Tomas descending to deliver a kick to the back of his head and using the momentum to do a back flip. Russel and Hanzo were on a deadlock, Russel giving everything he got while Hanzo just gave him an amused look before doing a sweep kick and sending Russel to the ground. Cardin was now running and hiding from icicles from Kuai Liang guarding Cardin's mace.

As Russel was about to get up, he was distracted from his fight as Cardin yelled at him. "Russel, stop being an idiot and help me!". Annoyed, but willing to follow orders, he rolled away from Hanzo's kick to the ground, got up and threw one of his daggers at Kuai Liang who blocked the projectile with an ice shield. Cardin's strategy worked, however, since he was able to take his mace again. He charged again but was now going to deliver a swing, Kuai Liang dashed backwards and left in his place an ice statue of himself that froze Cardin as soon as he touched it. Kuai Liang made two ice axes as he proceeded to beat Cardin with both.

Jerrod was still fighting Sky who just kept attacking. He locked their weapons together and turned to his team. "He can't use his semblance while being distracted! Need help!" he yelled.

Cardin managed to block strikes coming from Kuai Liang's new weapons, ice swords, and then yelled back at his teammate "And how does that help me!?" before dodging a double thrust against his chest.

Russel, on the other hand, understood the found weakness and ignored Hanzo, throwing his remaining dagger at Jerrod. He managed to block it with his axe pushing Sky away first, but the force of the impact did send him to the ground. Russel ran with Sky towards Jerrod reclaiming his lost weapon in the process.

Hanzo noticed this turn of events and took out a spear head attached to a chain; he then threw it and when it got in Sky's back he yelled "GET OVER HERE!" loud enough to make an eco-effect on the room and then pulled so that Sky was flying towards him. A double flip kick had Sky up in the air for a few seconds before Hanzo appeared on top of him delivering a fire punch in his stomach that sent Sky crashing to the floor.

While Russel looked at the spectacle, he never noticed Jerrod using his semblance on himself until it was too late. When Russel turned around, Jerrod propelled himself towards Russel and headbutted him directly on the face. When Russel fell to the ground, Jerrod made an air flip and landed on the other boy's chest.

Dove had gone on the defense as he was now deflecting punches and slashes from Tomas while also keeping an eye open from his ability to turn into smoke and appear behind him. He was stunned when Tomas turned all his body but his arms into a cloud and then went past Dove leaving his tridents on the floor. When Tomas materialized, he used the elastic wire to launch himself at Dove and punched him in his stomach, he then turned to smoke once again appearing behind Dove to punch him in the back and went in front again to deliver a high kick to his face.

The fight kept going with team CRDL unable to stop the punches, kicks and strikes of the newcomers; all of them getting dizzy as the screen showed them all on the yellow just about to enter the red zone.

With all their opponents stunned but still standing, Kuai Liang turned to his team and gave a final order. "Finish them! Ice-compactor!". Hanzo took out a second spear and threw them at Sky, once they were stuck on his chest, Hanzo began to spin, taking Sky along for the ride. Tomas placed the tridents on the ground and used his smoke form to go back as far as he could while Jerrod used his telekinesis to pick up Russel. Tomas let go and the resulting flying kick against Dove sent him flying forward and crashing against Sky while Jerrod then threw Russel into the growing human pile.

While all that happened, Kuai Liang froze Cardin's feet with a more powerful ice blast and then made an ice wall that had a giant ice block growing from it and six feet over Cardin's head. "Xian Zai" yelled Kuai Liang; Hanzo released all other members of team CRDL who crashed against Cardin, releasing him from his feet prison and making all four of them crash against the ice wall. The impact made the block above them fall and crash over them.

With that final blow, team CRDL went red and Goodwitch stepped in the arena. "The winners are: Kuai Liang Xue, Hanzo Hasashi, Tomas Vrbada and Jerrod Ermac". As she said that, all four teens got together and looked at team CRDL before placing their right fist on their left palm and bowing to their defeated opponents.

Everyone in the amphitheater then cheered for the new guys as they left with some of the teachers while CRDL were taken to the locker rooms with the assistance of Professors Port and Oobleck.

At dinner, the fight was the single topic everyone seemed interested in. whether it was CRDL being put on their place or specific moments during the fight. A growing trend seemed to be trying to imitate Hanzo's "GET OVER HERE" yell. RWBY and JNPR were not extent of this as they all were talking about how cool they were with relatively simple weapons and awesome martial arts. Everyone but Yang, that is.

If she had any doubts before, they were all clear now. That move everyone was now interested in was identical in every way to what the yellow guy did at Junior's. Those guys had something to do with Seido, and she would get to the bottom of things.

* * *

All teachers at Beacon were now sitting in the conference room, Ozpin and Glynda at the head.

"Well… needless to say, they passed the combat test. Anything to add Glynda?".

"Excellent teamwork, great ability to improvise, some may abuse of their semblance; but they've more than earned their place here as far as I'm concerned".

"Good! How about their theorical tests?".

Oobleck spoke first. "Not as great at their fighting abilities, but good enough for them to not require any leveling or tutoring. They show a slightly above average of knowledge in mathematics, history and dust chemistry; but that Jerrod kid seems to be, pardon my language, the slowest member. Taking longer to make decisions and even going back to change answers multiple times". As he said the last part footage of the boys taking their exams showed Jerrod clearly being upset about answers he re-wrote repeatedly.

Port then interjected "He also seemed to be talking to himself!".

"And their tests?" Asked Ozpin.

"Meh! They know about some grimm. I can bring them up to date, no biggy".

"Then it's settled. They'll join our students tomorrow. I'll send them their uniforms and assign them their room this instant. What do they have to say about the leader position and partners, Glynda?".

"It was a two against one against one. Everyone but Tomas voted for himself, he voted for Kuai Liang. They asked specifically that Tomas and Kuai Liang are made partners".

Ozpin had to admit that this was his happiest mistake. He gained incredible new warriors in his fight against Salem, what else could he ask for? "It's settled then. From this moment forward, they are team KHTE of Beacon. Everyone agrees?".

Everyone but Oobleck and Port raised their hands.

"Bartholomew, Peter? Is there any thing you'd like to add?"

"Yes headmaster. Before you accept them, we have one condition!" Oobleck said.

Everyone looked dead serious at them before Port yelled. "PUT THEM IN GRAMMAR SCHOOL!".

Everyone seemed confused by Port's outburst. "Excuse me?" Glynda asked.

Oobleck then passed copies of specific open answers and essays written by the boys before Port continued. "They all insist on spelling things like 'Crypt', 'Conquest', 'Carts', 'Combat' and even more words with a 'K'!".

* * *

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* * *

_**Had a lot of trouble trying to describe the MK outfits this time.**_

_**To save imagination fuel:**_

_**-MK 11 Scorpion without the hood**_

_**-MK 11 Sub-Zero without the hood**_

_**-MK 9 Smoke**_

_**-MKD Ermac, alternate costume**_

_**Reviews are always welcome.**_


	10. Chapter 10

"No, no, no. You are doing it wrong!" a young Tomas told Jerrod, the later having problems making his red tie. "Over a million souls and not one knows how tie a knot?".

"We are mostly from realms already conquered by Shao Kahn. It is not our fault that any of those are not like Earth as this world conveniently is".

"Good thing the Lin Kuei prepared us for any scenario…" Tomas gave up and decided to do the knot himself.

Out of the bathroom then came a larger, older and bearded version of Kuai Liang, to whom Tomas just looked annoyed. "You do know classes start soon and we haven't gone to breakfast yet, right?".

"Don't worry, Smoke". He assured him while retrieving his dragon necklace from his nightstand and putting it on. "We are still on schedule, and a Lin Kuei warrior can survive days without food". He noted with humor as his body slowly changed into that of a seventeen-year-old while he dressed.

Tomas, aka Smoke, rolled his eyes. He remembered his hard childhood training regime, but if they could live a normal life with three meals a-day, he would not complain; and he knew his friend since childhood would not either.

While they had their argument, Hanzo was kneeling in front of a framed slightly burned picture of a woman and an infant. He was already wearing his medallion and the Beacon uniform, the later given to them by the headmaster personally last night.

Kuai Liang then sat on his bed and spoke to Jerrod who was now receiving the tie from Smoke. "Do you remember the voice you must use?".

Ermac rolled its eyes and went still for a moment before speaking in just one voice compatible with the age of their container. "Yes. But we demand to be called Ermac!".

"That can be settled, don't worry. Are you done Hanzo?".

Hanzo opened his eyes and placed the picture inside the drawer of his night table. "I am, Sub-Zero. Let us proceed".

"Good, I am starving!" claimed Smoke before Sub-Zero stopped them all at the door.

"Remember: No codenames" he told them before opening the room and leaving.

* * *

KHTE were standing in line at the cafeteria. Sub-Zero and Hanzo talked while taking the food they wanted.

"Any thoughts on how we are going to infiltrate the hotel?" asked Hanzo.

"Still working on it. They may not have the scanners like at the club, but if that is their base of operations, it is not unguarded. Have you heard from Raiden?".

"Went to Orderrealm, nothing new since some days ago".

Smoke then stepped into the conversation from behind Hanzo. "Fujin is also out, helping the others".

After some consideration, Sub-Zero spoke again. "Our priority is to get inside the hotel, we'll need to-".

"Um… excuse me?". A tall girl with braided green hair from behind Smoke called the attention of all three boys. "Is… is your friend ok?".

Confused, they turned to look at Ermac who stood completely frozen with his right-hand hovering over some dishes. "We forgot the food schedule!" pointed out Smoke.

To any normal person, deciding what to eat is the work of one voice; Ermac however, had an intense war of voices in his head right now.

"Fruit salad is healthier!".

"We've earned ourselves a tray of bacon!".

"Those pigs deserved to live!".

"Oatmeal tastes like shit!".

The fight went on and escalated to the point that Ermac was already whispering in his multiple voices. "There is more fat than nutrients! The taste is better! I just like them, ok!? I'll shove them right up your-". He was then stopped when his team picked the fruit salad and placed it on his tray; that allowed them to go move the line forward.

Freedom for Ermac came with a price. Although battle and strategy meant survival and therefore a healthy majority of the souls agreed instantly on what to do, it was smaller things that divided them and left the body just standing still.

After getting their food, it was now a matter of finding where to eat. Sub-Zero and Smoke were then reminded of their time at the old Lin Kuei's mess hall. "Hope there is no Sektor table" commented Smoke.

"Hey! New kids! Need a seat!?". A female voice said.

They turned to the source of it and found two blonds, a boy and a girl, waving at them with four empty spots. Seeing nothing wrong, they went ahead and sat.

The blond girl then spoke to them again. "So, how do you like Beacon so far? Jerrod, is it?"

"Better than the woods" he answered and the added in a lower voice "and we prefer Ermac".

"We?".

All other ninjas felt panic when they noticed the slip. "We. As in my team and me. I never felt that Jerrod really represented… all of myself" he mentioned nonchalantly.

"Awww, we just met, and you are already being so open! Anyway, I'm Yang, that is Jaune, over there we have Nora" a small orange haired girl waved enthusiastically, "And this is Weiss" she said pointing at a pale girl with white hair who just raised her hand.

Feeling calm again, the rest of team KHTE presented themselves and went on to have their breakfast in silence. After some time, everyone next to the entrance began to laugh in a mocking tone at a group of three boys. When they arrived at the line, everyone at the table could see Sky, Russel and Dove trying their best to hold their anger and humiliation as they went on to sit at the far end of the hall.

"Those are the boys we faced last night. My guess is that they are not very liked?" commented Sub -Zero.

The blond boy chuckled and answered him. "You have no idea. Your basic bullies".

Smoke then got next to Sub-Zero and whispered "The Sektor table".

"Although… where is Cardin?" the blond questioned.

Hanzo looked at Jaune and asked "Who?".

"You know, the guy who fought… Kuai Liang was it?".

"Yes, I remember. Full of potential, but blinded by his own strength and ego…" that boy certainly reminded him of her own pupil, may she rest in peace.

"YAAAANG!" a voice from someone not on the table yelled. "You were supposed to wake me up! Now I'm late for my morning exercises!".

"Hey, I did my best. Don't blame me for your shortcomings, Ruby!". Yang defended herself.

"Weakly pulling my blanket three times before going outside. Is that what we call 'Do your best' now?".

"Get an alarm clock then!".

"I did! And you threw it out of the window!".

"You are impossible sometimes, you know that!?".

Grumbling, Ruby left the table and went for the door. All four boys saw the altercation, but knew Yang was too altered to give them some context. Smoke then got close to Jaune. "Soooooo… Yang and that girl… is it like girl problems 'GIRL' problems or…?".

Jaune quickly went on to correct him. "No, no, no. Nothing like that. They are sisters".

All other boys looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Half-sisters to be precise" Yang clarified. "If you are wondering why we don't look alike". She sighed and went on to play with the food left on her plate. "I mean, I love her and all; but she sometimes just… grrrrr".

Jaune then kept the conversation going. "Tell me about it! With seven sisters? The fun never ends…" he noted sarcastically. "You guys know what we mean, right?".

They all looked at each other before Sub-Zero answered. "We don't actually. We were all orphaned when we were infants, there were constant grimm attacks on our region. We come from different villages, but share the same fate. None of the survivors were willing to take us; but luckily, our master, Szél Faher found us and took us as his own".

A silence was made at the table. Nora, who had been happily playing on her scroll gave them an understanding look.

"But… he runs a school! Surely you met other kids!".

"Master Faher just took us, and only us. It has been like that for as long as we know".

Yang apologized while Nora pushed further. "I never knew my parents… Do you remember anything before the attacks?".

"Other than our names, no. Everything was lost". Hanzo answered her. "But we don't dwell in the past. We are here to prevent what happened to us, and that is all that matters".

As breakfast ended and everyone started to leave, KHTE went on their way as Jaune, Weiss, Nora and Yang remained behind. Ruby then joined them once the coast was clear with a cookie in hand. "Did it work?".

"Perfectly!" Yang said smiling with her arms crossed while she gave Jaune an all-knowing look.

"Yep. They were definitely lying" affirmed Jaune and then remembering the events of last night.

* * *

On Monday nights the library was almost empty. It was the perfect place for Ruby and company to get on with business after Sun and Neptune arrived.

Once everyone was ready, Sun wasted no time and went to the board.

"Security, though tight, is vulnerable. There are indeed no security cameras in either the hotel or the offices; but guards ARE alert to suspicious activity from employees. Luckily, If I act normally on my shift, I won't get caught!" he threw the marker in the air and caught it with his other hand "Now, I know what you are thinking. 'Then how will you be able to snoop around?' But here is where Blake and Ren play their roles! And sorry guys, but it is the only way you can get in".

Sun then drew the basic structure of the hotel. "As you know, the kitchen is in the top floor. A set of 10 trollies leave the kitchen at 12:00 and then a second round at 12:20. Employees have a 50 minutes lunch time at which time trollies need to head back to pick up the dishes; same 20 minutes separation.

"Good. but then how are we going to get Blake and Ren in there?" Pyrrha asked.

"This will be the messy part: The only way to access the kitchen and the trollies before they leave is through the garbage shoot. Since cooking is already done, you should be able to climb it without garbage falling in around… ten minutes!".

Unphased, Blake commented "I've had to do the same with worse conditions in the White Fang. But how are we going to distract the guards? They'll see us going in and out of the cart".

"Broom closets are always unlocked, and guards are constantly on the move. I only need to drop you next to one and then cause a quick diversion to open the door and allow you in".

Ren then questioned his plan "And how will we move around?".

"Ventilation shafts. You'll then need to go to the server rooms and copy whatever you can in your window frame".

Everyone was surprised with Sun's plan; Nora was more than amazed and quickly jumped next to him. "Wow Sun, who knew you could be a great planer!?".

Sun, however, looked at her with a slight amount of offense. "You DO remember I am my team's leader, right?".

"Oh… hehe… sorry. I'll shut up now". Full of shame, Nora did just that and just sat down and began to use her scroll.

After that happened, Jaune got up and looked at the model on the board. "My guess is that the way out is the way in?". Sun nodded. "Great. But what about Hotaru's office?".

Sun stepped forward again and painted twelve doors and circled the fourth one. "You mean: the dragon room. Bad news is that no one is allowed when he is out; and even then, only handpicked waiters are allowed; as you can imagine, I ain't part of the select few. Good news is, that there is always Thursday night!".

"What happens on Thursday night?" questioned Neptune.

"The VPs have their dinner. The only time during the whole week! The date is random, but they always reserve the same room ahead of time" he then circled the eleventh door "the boar room".

JNPR and RWBY remembered their night at the Night Beetle. "The Naknada clan!" Weiss said as if it was an epiphany.

"The creepy bosses, yes! I don't have all the details, but I can take Thursday's night shift right now" he said as he pulled his scroll out.

Ruby then stood and went in front of the board as Sun sat down "Do that. Well, anyone has anything else to add?".

At that, Yang raised her hand. "Oh, I got something alright". She then went to stand next to her sister. "I've found a lead on the guys who wrecked the club's lobby!".

Everyone was now looking at Yang with open eyes. "You WHAT!?" managed to yell Nora. Everyone quickly shushed her and looked around to make sure no one heard her outburst.

"Who? When? How?" Jaune asked while placing his hands on the table.

"This guy!" Yang took out a zoomed picture of Hanzo and pasted it on the board.

Confused, everyone looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Didn't you say they were in their forties to fifties, Yang?" asked Blake.

Yang rolled her eyes before looking at everyone again "Here we go… Yes! I know what I said. But none of you were there; that spear throw and the 'get over here' scream where the same. They are also yellow and have a ponytail, waaaay too many coincidences if you ask me".

They all had to give Yang this one her being the only witness of the guys at the club and knowing exactly what happened.

Jaune expressed his concern. "Ok, are you saying he somehow got younger for him to be seventeen right now?".

"Obviously not Jaune, that would be stupid AND impossible!".

"Then if not that, what?".

Everyone looked at Jaune in a condescending way.

"Brothers?" Weiss said.

"Parents" Blake mentioned.

"Other students from their school?" Neptune added.

"Other distant relatives?" Ren said.

Jaune blinked a few times before his face went red from shame. "Right… sorry, got caught in the moment. But… how are you going to find out?".

Yang made a smug grin, cracked her knuckles and simply turned to face Blake. "Hey Blaky, have your bobby pins arrived yet?".

* * *

As the members of team KHTE turned the corner to head out of the dormitories, they passed Pyrrha pretending to check her schedule on her scroll. When they turned on another corner, she made a bronze ball roll down the hall, giving Ren and Blake the signal to start their work.

Bypassing the scroll locks was hard, but not impossible. Blake's time with the Fang and Ren's on the streets prepared them for all kinds of security. Once open, they both went on to work while keeping their scrolls in hand at all time in case Pyrrha warned them that the ocupants were heading back.

For being four boys, their room was spotless, not having anything on the desks or night tables. Their closets were normal as well with nothing worth hiding. It wasn't until Ren went through Hanzo's night table and Blake through Kuai Liang's that they found something useful.

The first was a framed slightly burnt black and white picture of a woman wearing a dress like the ones his mother used to with long black hair and a baby on her arms. Blake, on the other hand, found a colored picture in better state of three boys in strange uniforms consisting of black t-shirts and vests made of colored puffy squares and colored wrist guards. One was an older boy with short straight black hair of around fifteen years wearing blue, and two smaller boys of around ten years, one wearing the same tone of blue while the other had gray. The boy in gray had short silver hair while the other blue boy had a messy short black hair. While the older boy just looked at the camera with narrowed eyes and a small smile, the younger boys were grinning and making gestures with their hands. Blake turned it around and found the message _Bi Han, Tomas and I_ written on the back.

Both Ren and Blake took pictures and sent them to Yang while they left the room just how they found it.

* * *

Yang was worried when KHTE arrived and got in line. Nora was doing her best to keep people from getting on their saved spots, but they would be useless if Ren and Blake didn't hurry up with their recon. As soon as they noticed Jerrod freezing in front of some dishes, everyone received pictures and brief descriptions of what Blake and Ren found.

"Ok Ruby, you are up! I need you to make some sister drama".

"On it!" Ruby then ran to the opposite of the hall and waited for the other team to sit and let the show begin.

* * *

At lunch, JNPR and RWBY were on the yards having been briefed by Yang on their discovery. The pictures proved that Kuai Liang had and knew someone who was either his brother or another student, while Hanzo's picture showed that he had some sort of connection to the woman; maybe his mother and the man Yang saw was his father. The existence of these pictures also contradicted their statements about there being no trace of their past. In the end, they would need to be question later, their objective right now was to throw ideas for what to do Thursday night.

All except Nora who was reading on her scroll. But it was a particular headline that caught her attention and made her call all others. "Guys… we might have more time in our hands for this".

"What do you mean?" questioned Ren.

She then showed them her scroll and the headline left everyone speechless.

_"Hotaru Taakoizu, CEO of Seido Industries, kidnapped by bandits from Mistral._

_Company's board reveals that the businessman was kidnapped during his most recent tour by land"._


	11. Chapter 11

_**Fun Fact: This was going to be Chapter 9, but I felt the pacing was going too fast. **__**Also, my longest chapter yet! **_

_**Read, enjoy and feel free to comment.**_

* * *

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* * *

"The case of Commander Hotaru of the Seidan Guard against the Realm of Order is now in session. Senators Konton, Uso and I, Ran-Yo, preside over this trial. Grava, protector goddess of the realm and elemental goddess of gravity, is here to witness that justice is being made" claimed a middle-aged man who wore his hair in a bun style while sitting next to an old bearded man and a relatively young bald woman.

Hotaru's hatred towards the Senate as the ruling institution of Orderrealm was no secret to many close to him or other senators. The constant debates that ended up taking valuable time of action, scandals of corruption that took ages for the justice system to clear and 'grey area' politicians who pretended to be with both sides but in the end were in none but that of their pockets, and more.

Long before he was born, the war between those who abided by the realm's ambition to preserve order above all else were at war with those that wanted to bring down most the system seeing it as unnecessary and very restrictive, calling themselves the 'Resistance'. It did not help that with each passing year, the senate was slowly being overtaken by the Resistance through assassinations, infiltration, rigged elections and fake promises of peace.

"You are accused of abuse of power, invasion and annexation of another realm without the required victories in Mortal Kombat, and neglection to protect a prisoner of war. How do you plea?".

Cuffed, but still in his black and turquoise armor and proudly wearing the flags of the Seidan Guard on his back, he stepped to the center of the round room and spoke clearly as the floor's platform began to levitate. "Not guilty".

He did not fear any of them. They were only sitting there because of a weak Prime Minister that signed a so called "peace deal" that gave the Resistance a quarter of the senate regardless of how many seats they actually won on elections. They were also active and public members of the Resistance; being personally arrested by Hotaru who was forced to let them go because of the deal. And now they had the audacity of putting him in trial. A pathetic payback for managing to reduce them to a small fraction after the death of their precious martyr, Darrius.

His judges, up on their tall stone podiums seemed amused by his answer. This was not a trial. This was a show; a show where they wanted to rub their under the table victory by making him the oppressive villain and make themselves look like the underdogs and freedom fighters.

Hotaru just stared at them for a long time, but he was then bothered by the light coming from the open dome in the roof. He looked up, the light became brighter and a faint voice could be heard in the distance. "… ak… p… wa… p".

He started to feel pain all over his body, but his cheeks felt constant and growing pain. "wak… up… wake up… wake up!" The light consumed him, and that ended that memory. The memory of the day of his greatest military victory.

* * *

"WAKE UP!" a voice commanded him.

He could not distinguish any features in the voice at first, but he slowly opened his eyes. It took him some time to adjust to the light and all he was able to see was the blurry silhouette of a person. After some time, he could see a pair of shades, either a bald or short haired head, and a sleeveless shirt. "Darrius…?" He managed to ask.

"…Who?" The shape spoke with a female voice "Guess they were right; the shades are just too much". His eyes finally adjusted, and he was able to see a young woman with short brown hair crouching over him. She then pulled the glasses off her eyes letting him see her light blue pupils. He tried to stand up but noticed that his hands were tied to his back and then the pain took over his body once again.

It took him some time to finally get on his knees. In the meanwhile, the girl just looked at him with amusement, enjoying watching him being in pain. He looked at her with annoyance and was ready to stand up, but as soon as he placed a foot on the floor, she closed an improvised steel bar door on his face. He then looked at her again while she stared at him with the same sadist face as before. "Enjoying yourself?" He asked her.

She then walked behind his cell and began to push it out of what appeared to be a tent. "As much as a 'coward' can" she noted with an air of humor.

Once outside, everyone at the camp stopped what they were doing and looked at Hotaru inside his cage. Some gave him death signs, some taunted him with insults of falling from grace and others looked at him with flirtatious eyes. After a moment he noticed his vest, blazer, shoes and socks were gone, and when they stopped moving and a plate of water was left on his knees, he was able to see his face. One black eye, a big cut on his lip, some dried blood on the left of his forehead and an inflamed right cheek.

The girl then slapped the cage a few times earning his attention. "I'll come back for you later". She turned her head to look at the other bandits who were slowly commuting to the cage. "Don't worry. They don't bite". She then started to walk to the largest tent in the camp, going up a set of stairs and finally going inside.

The rest of what he deduced was the Branwen tribe surrounded him with big grins, knives and dust pellets. "Lookie here buys! A brave rich boy in the hands of us bottom feeders. Still feeling brave, hotshot?" A skinny man with long blond hair approached the cell. He leaned over and looked at Hotaru directly.

Hotaru remained silent. Not wanting to entertain him, he just stared back. "Awwww, what's wrong? The mean people got you scared?".

"No, just disappointed at myself". The man just gave him a confused look. "This place? I've seen brutes with a lack of common sense build a better camp than this hellhole" Images of Chaosrealm 'cities' came to mind "And all of you? I thought you were a capable guerrilla, but you are all just a bunch of good for nothing scavengers attacking the defenseless!".

The man was now grabbing two cell bars and pressed his face against the door. Looking at their captive with anger, he said "I don't think you understand your situation!". But during the heating argument no one noticed Hotaru shift his position to a squat. He fell on his back and used the momentum to deliver a kick to the man's chin which sent him flying backwards. When the man stood, he spitted out a tooth and was quickly embarrassed when everyone in the audience started to laugh at him.

The man took out his gun and pointed it at Hotaru who was now kneeling with a smug face. "You'll regret doing that!" he screamed.

"Do it". Hotaru dared him.

They remained still for a moment before Hotaru teased him again. "What? Was all that bravado a show?". The man did nothing and Hotaru continued. "Come on, do it! Maybe I am just too much for you. Should I cover my eyes to make it easier?".

The man's wrist was starting to shake; he closed one eye and pointed to Hotaru's head but did not fire. After a long pause, the man opened his eyes and threw the gun to the ground with his hands up. Hotaru smirked. "Coward" he gloated before being hit in the back of the head and falling on his face while a pole like object pressed against his head.

"Or he understood his role in the tribe" a strong female voice said behind him. "Vernal, take him out. We have business to discuss". The pole was removed, the girl from before opened his prison and grabbed him by the shoulders forcing him to get out; she then pushed him to the main tent where a tall pale woman with long black hair wearing a red bandana, a black and red coat and a black miniskirt just looked at him with her arms crossed and an stoic face.

"Miss Branwen, I suppose?"

She looked at him from top to bottom and then gave him a small grin. "This will be fun" she said before all three entered the tent.

* * *

While not to his standards when it came to camp organization, it was obvious she kept the better things the tribe looted. The hut was small and humble. It had crates and barrels as furniture, a small table with four red cushions and perhaps the most luxurious things in the entire camp: A big double sized bed with expensive looking covers and many bottles of what seemed like high quality bottles of liquor.

Hotaru was uncuffed and cuffed again, his hand on the front this time. Vernal then took him to one of the cushions and ordered him to sit. The Branwen woman then took a tea set and began to prepare some matcha tea.

Hotaru waited in silence until the woman was done serving it. "Impressive, you filtered the lumps and whisked the tea twice. Not many people do the longer process nowadays, miss…?" he complimented her while also asking for her name.

"Raven will do. And sometimes, things done following the rules do come out with good results". They both drank a few sips before Raven spoke again. "I must confess, I am kind of insulted. After all this time and we never got a call to join your club?".

"That's because we don't associate with bandits".

Raven let out a snort. "What? A crook is somehow more worthy of your time and money?".

Hotaru finished his tea before answering her question. "Well. Why do you break the law, Raven? Is it to sell things illegal in other kingdoms at higher price? No. You don't seek profit; you seek to consume what you steal. How is that a good business?".

"How about if you look at it in this way: Mistral's roads are not as safe as the council would like you to think. But… for a small commission, things could be a lot safer for merchandise that can't be carried in a Bullhead".

"Extortion?"

"I would call it a security toll. Of course, It wouldn't be a stable fee. We would accept whatever our camp needs in the quantities we require, whenever we require, plus those ten million liens that are missing are still useful".

"Ten? The deal was a million!".

"Before we had a pawn. Now we have the king". Raven served more tea, but Hotaru just kept looking at her. "And the spy you tried to sneak into our tribe? Very cute detail; poetic in a way. We take one of your men by infiltration, and you try to do the same. But the trick only works one way".

Vernal then stood next to Raven with a scroll, showing all the details of the caravan's security. After another sip, she continued. "How else would you explain we knew how much dust to use to blow up your protection glass?". She then stood up and walked next to one of the boxes and took out one of his dust shotguns. "The clan is already getting to know how to use these. Hiding them in the second van, nicely thought. You were going to shoot us while we got the first and last vans".

Hotaru just kept staring. "Do you really think I would fall for the taunting? We gave that mole of yours fake schedules and numbers. All while our good spy managed to give us one last piece of information before being beaten to death. Now, you are going to ask for the ransom, and we'll pretend like nothing happened… and you may want to hurry, some of the girls like to break uptight boys; and even some of the guys might want a piece of the action. Even on the woods, people still retain some standards on who they want their partners to be".

Hotaru just kept staring at both women for an even longer time, before breaking into laughter. He laughed and laughed annoying both women. When he finally stopped, he just stared at them with a smug grin on his face. "Madam, you would give Havik a run for his money. But let's make something clear: I am not a weak businessman that you will exploit for money and the sexual pleasure of your tribe. I am a man of the military first and foremost!".

"Yes, I've heard you were a cop; big deal!" Raven just retorted while rolling her eyes.

"You misheard me, woman! I said military. As in I have an army at my disposal! I am ready to die for my most noble cause: The implementation of order and the elimination of all who defy it!". Raven and Vernal just looked at him las if he were a crazy bum. "To accomplish it, I would do whatever, even put my life on the line! All so that all of you law breakers would burn in the deepest pit of the Netherrealm!".

Raven and Vernal looked at him with wide eyes before busting into laughter. "Is he for real?". They could not decide what was funnier. The hypocrisy of Seido dealing with criminals while their CEO claimed to be a good clean cop, his fanatism to his so-called cause, or his delusions of grandeur.

"Ok, Mr. goodie-good. What is your plan? Buying everything to then play king of the world? You do know you are making that money by doing deals with people just as bad as us?".

"Who says I am doing this for the money and happily? Haven't you ever heard of 'going deep undercover?'. If it were up to me, I would have ripped the head from every parasite I am having to work with!". That caught their attention and they stopped laughing all together. "A war is coming, miss Branwen. There is more outside of what you all claim to know. Powers and places you have possibly only just dreamed of!".

Vernal and Raven looked at each other thinking the same. 'Is he talking about Salem?'. "What are you talking about? Who do you work for? The witch? or maybe… you are with Ozpin, aren't you?" asked Raven trying to hide any sign of fear.

It was now Hotaru who looked at them with intrigue. "Witch? Ozpin?" He had heard of Beacon's headmaster; but the man was not one of social events, so he had never met him. But this information revealed by Raven was something he had to dig deeper in the future. And what did anything have to do with a 'Witch'?

Raven took out Omen and place the edge of the sword on his neck. "Enough games! Tell me what you know!".

At that moment, an explosion and screams were heard outside of the tent. Hotaru started to laugh once again while Raven and Vernal just looked at him with anger. "I know that you are no military expert. I know that you saw me as a big catch, so I fed you information that gave you a fake sense of security while you took me to the root of your cesspool". She kept looking at him, her anger turning into confusion. "Your tribe is unpredictable on the long run; you don't serve a purpose other than to feed yourselves. You can't be manipulated by the promise of money, only of survival. You'd eventually ask questions and bring our plan for domination crumbling, so you need to be removed".

More explosions and screams could be heard getting closer. "Vernal! Go see what is happening". The young woman nodded and headed out. Raven then kept looking at Hotaru directly into his eyes. "Why are you telling me this?".

He just walked over to her, his smile ever more arrogant, until he was just inches from her face. "Because I know you will not survive past this day".

Raven felt heat coming from under their faces; and when she looked down, she was able to see his cuffs being melted by a bright yellow substance. She tried to slash the head off from Hotaru's body, but he saw that attack coming; he ducked and delivered an uppercut that sent her up in the air. She recovered quickly and landed on her feet again. She then looked with confusion at her adversary. "How… did you do that? You don't have aura; your wounds are not fully healed. Yet you have a semblance?".

Hotaru cleaned his wrists before assuming a fighting stance. "Let's call it… seidan magic". He then charged at her screaming at the top of his lungs.

* * *

Vernal expected a confrontation at the camp's walls. She never expected to see them intact while some tents burned, and members of the tribe were taken down by men in turquoise suits and dark glasses wearing electric brass knuckles and dust shotguns. She ran towards a bandit woman with long black hair hiding behind some creates and keeping the intruders away with her two handguns.

"What the hell is going on!?".

"I don't know! They appeared out of nowhere!".

"Casualties?".

"Minimal. Most are still standing or knocked out. They seem focused on destroying the camp!".

Vernal then peeked out and saw that a weird looking bald man with green clothes and a handbag ordering around a group of intruders while he went into the storage tent. Vernal then turned her attention towards the woman again. "Who is that guy in green?".

"Beats me. Might as well be their leader".

"I have an idea, cover me!".

Vernal made her way to the storage tent not wanting to get the attention of the invaders. 'If I could catch that guy, I could threaten him into stopping the attack!' she thought.

Once inside, she saw the guy looking through some of the crates on the ground. The tent, although big, was empty enough to allow people to access to the many columns of piled boxes. Vernal then took out her weapons and activated them while walking slowly towards the man, more than distracted by random jewelry. "Hands up!" she ordered him, placing the mouth of the gun attached to her circular blades on his back. The man complied to her request. "Order the attack off. NOW!" she then ordered him.

The man gave her a creepy laugh and quickly turned around, grabbing her hand in the process and delivering a punch to her face. She fired her guns, missing her target due to her dizziness but at least making him back-off from her. "Shit! You can actually fight!?".

"There is more to the Naknada than we show". He looked at Vernal with admiration. "Ooooooh, you would be excellent for breeding!".

Disgusted, to say the least, Vernal quickly dismissed his comment when she noticed his eyesight switching between her and the bag. She then started to move slowly towards it, and once she was right next to it, she picked it up and then yelled "Call off the attack and you can have this back!".

The anger on the man's face was immense. He just ran towards Vernal screaming and dodging all the bullets he could before he tackled her to the ground trying to peel of her face with his nails. She had lost her weapons but managed to grab the chain of the dragon necklace he was wearing with both hands. She then used it as a strangling cord which managed to make the guy stop his attack. The chain broke, and while he was recovering his breath, Vernal placed both her feet on his chest and pushed him towards a pillar of crates which collapsed on top of him.

She deduced that the bag must be very important if he was willing to be shot for it; so, she recovered her weapons and began to look through the handbag. She could not find anything for her current predicament, but she did notice how it seemed bigger on the inside than the outside.

She kept looking until she saw the man pushing the crates on top of him away in a fit of rage. She then took the handbag again and placed it next to one of the tent's torches. "Do anything funny and I'll-". She stopped her threat midsentence when she noticed with horror the monster that stood in front of her. His face had turned more animalistic and his eyes were now bright orange with white pupils, but his most horrific new features were two new sets of arms besides his regular ones which were now skinnier and with long clawed hands; one pair was just like his bottom arms while the other was a smaller version of the other arms and located on his back, slightly under the first pair.

"Give it back!" he demanded before throwing two green vials from his pockets at her, taking her out of the shock. She jumped back and out of the tent as green fire appeared where the vials had broken. She then looked up and saw the man was gone; but when she turned around, she was face to face with him.

He then grabbed his bag and kicked her in her stomach, recovering his prized possession in the process. She recovered and now noticed he had removed his shoes, reveling talons while his skin was slowly turning blue. "Who… What… are you…?" She managed to ask.

"I am Kollector, and I already told you; I am Naknada". He then removed what was left of his green jacket and white shirt, placed the handbag on his backhands. The hands on the top then retrieved a mace-like object and he assumed a fighting pose.

Knowing panicking would take her nowhere, she took out the blades from her weapons and pointed her guns at him. He gave her a horrible grin before retrieving a gold lantern from the bag. She shot at him with the intention to kill him this time, but the lantern began to produce a blue flame while he moved it from side to side absorbing her bullets. Once she stopped, he then produced a ball of light that headed towards her, she dodged it easily, but was distracted when the ball collided with one of the intruders and exploded.

"How did you do that!?".

He didn't answer and instead placed the lantern back and took out two knives and a sickle with which he charged. Vernal deflected the knives and dodged a side slash from the sickle, managing to deliver a back kick on his chest. She then went to slash the left side of his head, but he dropped one of his knives and grabbed her leg slamming her against the ground. He jumped with the intent to stab her while she was down, but she managed to roll out of the way and stand up. He then, somehow, propelled the mace in her direction, she managed to deflect three blows before he swung the mace and managed to trap her left arm. He then took out a bola and tied her legs and remaining arm.

He began to pull her in, but Vernal managed to free the gun barrel from the chain and shot multiple times distracting him and giving her time to break free from the bola, spin and get back on her feet.

Deciding to take the offensive this time, Vernal ran towards Kollector and delivered punches with the intention of also stabbing him. He managed to deflect the first set of attacks with his knives, but she then switched to slashes and gun shots. She then did a sweep kick and brought him down, losing his knives and sickle in the process. She then pointed the gun at his forehead and would have shot him dead center had it not been for one of his arms on the back pulling her leg and bringing her down.

They both stood up and would have kept on fighting had they not been distracted by a fireball coming from the main tent that sent Hotaru flying and landing just a few feet away from the stairs.

"Lord Hotaru!" Kollector screamed with panic in his voice. He looked with anger at Vernal and then threw many of the green vials between them, forcing her to jump back. She then looked up to see he was gone and had somehow managed to appear next to Hotaru.

"My lord…".

He managed to sit and only rubbed the side of his head. He didn't have any big bruises, but his shirt had the sleeves burned off. "I'm fine Kollector. The mission is now compromised…".

As soon as he stopped talking, Raven came out of the tent and looked at him with fire emanating from her eyes.

"There are people with magic in this world…".

Raven threw another fireball at them which they managed to dodge. Hotaru then yelled a series of orders at Kollector. "Turn off their human mode, set kombat mode to kill and give me project scarab!".

Immediately, Kollector pulled out of his pocket a microphone and out of his bag a hexagonal emerald like gem. He threw the gem at Hotaru and began to scream in the microphone. "Initiate protocol R-0-7-K-3-5; set human mode off, kombat mode to kill!".

Immediately, all the invaders went still, and their eyes glowed a neon blue; those who laid 'dead' on the ground, suddenly stood up. Their brass knuckles retracted, and plasma blades or metal buzz-saws emerged from their wrists, burning their blazers and revealing metal plates under torn pieces of flesh. Whenever they faced a member of the tribe, they would immediately repeat the same sentence in a deep cybernetic voice "Drop your weapons and surrender, or face immediate annihilation!".

Vernal managed to run around the green fires and confronted Kollector once again with the intention of taking the microphone away from him. She jumped in the air with the intention of stabbing him on the skull, but he managed to block her attack with a chakram and then used his mace to deliver a spring attack on her chest that sent her flying and then rolling on the ground.

Hotaru had managed to hide behind a tent and put the scarab on his right wrist, activating something through a digital panel. He was almost done when a strong wind blew his hiding place away and he saw Raven standing with her sword extended. "Seems your 'seidan magic' is nothing against the power of a maiden. And I can tell you this because you are not walking out of here alive" she said, mocking him with his own words. She then raised her sword and thunder could be heard.

Hotaru managed to input the last commands on the scarab before a lighting bolt fell on top of him clouding everyone's vision with a white flash of light. Raven took a few breaths of air before turning around and seeing the almost complete destruction of her camp. The tents and walls were on fire while people were falling left and right. They were able to take down one of the mechanical monstrosities every now and then, but at the cost of at least two tribesmen. She was ready to jump into action when clanking sounds stopped her on her tracks. She turned around to see Hotaru emerging from the crater where the lighting had hit wearing a black suit of armor that shined turquoise with a certain amount of light. On his left arm was what seemed like a shield that disintegrated as soon as he stopped a few feet away from her.

"I never liked the guardsmen shield, always had it as part of my uniform during patrol, of course; but I now appreciate it's functionality". He then looked at her face, a mixture of confusion and horror. "Alloys from Orderrealm seem to be able to absorb some elemental properties; electricity, for example. Although, I must give him this: If this is just the alpha version of the scarab, I cannot wait for what the full version can do!" He then took a golden rod from his back which extended into a naginata and charged at Raven once again.

She fired ice blocks and fireballs at him which he either managed to dodge and jump over with the help of his weapon, or he would break and dissipate them with the blade of the naginata. They finally clashed blades when he catapulted himself in the air and landed with a vertical cut that was blocked by Raven who then pushed him away. Raven charged again and slashed horizontaly, Hotaru intercepted her blade and rolled behind her, he then made a spinning move slashing her in the back. She fell to the ground and rolled away before he could stab her and then kicked him on the face. Hotaru retracted his naginata and proceeded to throw lava blasts at raven who created ice to block them; both elements created a cover of mist which Hotaru used to jump in the air and land 5 sidekicks on her face and stomach without Raven noticing.

Using her maiden powers, she propelled herself at Hotaru slashing an X on his armor and then kicking him. He took out his naginata once again and stuck it in the ground to help him stop. Raven repeated her strategy, but Hotaru used his lava powers to slide and propel himself around Raven planning to slash her back, she noticed his attack and proceded to block it.

They remained locked for a moment when an explosion took them out of the battle for a moment. The camp was now even worse. All tents and edifications, including her tent, were on fire, a hefty majority of her tribe were now lifeless bodies; half of the remaining members were on the ground having surrendered while the others, including Vernal, were still fighting.

Her hopes died when the monster fighting Vernal used his mace to hit her on the chest and make her crash on to a burning wood wall, he would have ended her then and there, but other tribesmen began shooting at him, forcing the blue creature to hide while they went to help Vernal. Before she could do anything, orange portals materialized around her and robots stepped out of them. She heard Hotaru laugh before he stepped out of the way and allowed all the robots to surround her.

"Raven!" she heard Vernal scream. She knew that Vernal was willing to go and help her, but Raven knew their only chance for survival would be to not fight.

As some robots changed their hands to electric buzz-saws and charged at her, Raven blocked and slashed her enemies with her sword while yelling at Vernal and the others. "GO! I'll be fine!" she knew that was a lie.

"Raven! I am not letting you-". An explosion interrupted her as a new set of robots with flamethrowers marched their way.

"I said go! That is an order!".

Vernal didn't want to, but the other tribesmen pulled her with them. As the robots and Kollector arrived, they saw the survivors flee. "After them!" he yelled, and the robots immediately ran into the woods.

Raven kept fighting every robot that came her way; she decapitated, stabbed, dismembered every robot she could, but she was getting tired and some attacks were finally connecting and depleting her aura. When an uppercut sent her crashing into the ground, she heard Hotaru's voice again. "Stop!" he commanded. Some of the robots then stepped out of the way to allow him to walk next to Raven.

Laying on the ground and gasping for air, she looked up at him with as much hatred as she could. "The honorable warrior sends his goons to fight for him?".

He chuckled as he kneeled and answered. "I did what every general does. Lead my troops into victory and captured my adversaries' commander. We are in a war after all, miss Branwen. Now… you'll face a trial for your crimes against Orderrealm". Hotaru then stood up and grabbed her by her leg. He slammed her on the ground, then slammed her again on the other side, he then dragged her almost unconscious body through the floor before slamming her on the ground one last time, shattering her aura and rendering her unconscious.

"Turn off the fires and prepare them for trial!" Hotaru ordered as he began to walk away and to remove the scarab with Kollector next to him.


	12. Chapter 12

"FUCKING BITCH!" Cardin screamed while hitting a punching bag repeatedly. "BACKSTABBING BASTARDS!". He had been at it for at least ten minutes nonstop. "WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE!?". He delivered a final punch that managed to tear the sack and made sand fall on the ground. He was gasping, but his adrenaline and anger were still through the roof. The humiliation after his defeat earlier in the evening still fresh on his mind.

* * *

At the locker rooms, Professors Port and Oobleck had just dropped CRDL and gave them some small talk. Port began. "Now boys, I know you may feel awful by having your butts kicked by strangers, but think of this as a lesson. Why, when I was younger, way younger than you even, I remember I had to fight a pair of Nevermores with just a spoon and-".

Thankfully, Oobleck made their defeat less painful by cutting Port off. "Not now Peter. Our pupils need this time to evaluate this experience to their fullest capacity without outsiders bringing their spirits down. Anyway, please go to your dormitory after you are done here; we'll be sure to bring you dinner".

They all gave the teachers a questioning look before Sky asked Oobleck "Can't just go to the dining hall?".

Oobleck and Port then gave him a condescending look. "Trust me. That is the last thing you'd want right now" Port told them before leaving.

The members of team CRDL removed the main pieces of armor before Cardin spoke to his team. "Can't believe they defeated us. What were you all doing out there!?". He slammed his locker and turned to face his team who were all arm crossed and looking at him with anger on their eyes.

"We could have had a chance if you read their files!". Russel told him.

"Uuuh, no! If you were any good, we would have mopped the floor with them in less than five minutes!".

"If we were any good!? I'm sorry, who was the one that got disarmed by the guy with no weapons!?" Sky then yelled.

"Complain all you want. The point is they only won because the teachers allowed them to cheat".

"They allowed that Kuai Liang guy to lead! Something we now completely understand you suck a lot at, you overgrown brat!" Sky told him.

Cardin then stepped forward, willing to pummel Sky right there. But his scroll rang, and he decided his teammate could wait. He picked up his scroll and saw the caller was Glynda. "Yes, Miss Goodwitch?" he said after answering.

"Mr. Winchester, please report to my office immediately. Just you; not your team". She hung up and Cardin turned to look at his team. No one said anything and Cardin then left.

On his way to Goodwitch's office, more than a handful of students mocked him by making monkey sounds and some had even gone the extra mile by throwing ice cubes his way. Arriving at the vice principal's office was going to at least be an end to his walk of shame.

He knocked three times before Glynda opened the door and he was able to enter. "Take a seat", she told him.

Once they were both on their seats, Glynda took a deep breath and talked to him in her normal, commanding voice. "I will allow you to speak your mind first. So off with it".

"Why was my team picked!? We are not the worst, and you know it! It should have been Arc and his team, not us, who got their butts kicked!".

Glynda took another deep breath, took her glasses off and cleaned them with a piece of cloth. "Mr. Winchester, did you listen to the criteria used for the selection of the team?".

"How could it be more complicated than 'the best at fighting'?".

"I'll take that as a no, then…" She then placed her glasses on again and showed him her computer screen where his grades and data were displayed. "To choose their opponents we used more than just the number of victories and defeats on combat class. While fighting results were a definitive factor, we also looked into strategy development and team-building exercises. And to answer your question about why team JNPR was not chosen…" she then showed a graph that compared Cardin and Jaune's development since day one. Cardin was then able to see Jaune surpassing some random first years while Cardin's numbers went down. Even worse were the other assignments where Jaune's number went up while his results went down. "As I also mentioned, it was a group grade". The data of his team against that of the rest of JNPR appeared and it was more than obvious that they were far better.

"But I am still a better fighter!".

"If your team was fighting a Boarbatusk and a King Taijitu right now in a dessert. What would you do? Do you remember their weak points?".

"Wha- What does that have to do with anything?"

"It's called 'a plan', Mr. Winchester, a strategy. A huntsman must know how to act on every scenario, even those that happen at the moment. As you can see, Mr. Arc surpasses you on that field".

"I… well… we… I am sure Jaune would also struggle in that scenario anyway!"

"But while he is improving, you are not. You are going down, along with your team". Goodwitch then took another breath and her expression changed to one of regret. "Which also gives me the obligation of telling you this Cardin: Should your development and grades keep getting worse… I am sorry, but we would need to expel you".

That announcement left Cardin frozen. It took him sometime before he jumped out of the chair and slammed his fists on Goodwitch's desk. "This is unfair! I worked my ass off to graduate from combat school and get here; now I am the one facing expulsion? After Arc basically-". He managed to control his mouth before he broke his promise. He might be angry at Jaune, but whatever honor he had left made him realize Jaune was not guilty and therefore didn't deserve to have his forgery revealed.

"What about Mr. Arc?".

"… Nothing… May I be excused".

"Yes, Mr. Winchester. You can leave".

He left her office in complete silence but livid. It didn't help that once outside the mockery started again. He wanted to make his way to his dorm but arrived at the moment Ozpin was giving the new boys access to their new room and new uniforms still new on their plastic bag. He then remembered how his team would probably just whine all night about him so he stormed off wanting to get to Vale knowing there was only one person who could comfort him right now.

* * *

"I think that sack of sand learned its lesson", remarked Elsa sarcastically. Cardin sat in a stool and she walked towards him, handing him a bottle of water before seating beside him. "A lien for your thoughts? I would like to know who the 'bitch' and 'Bastards' are if only for context".

Ever since their 'accidental encounter' they had grown closer. Nothing romantic had happened, but he felt like she understood him in a level beyond even his teammates. They chatted about their days, the idiots they had to put up with, annoying superiors and both were fans of being in shape.

Right now, he just needed a shoulder to lay on. Beacon was the last place he wanted to be in, and knowing that she was free on Monday nights, he asked if he could spend some time with her. She agreed, and since it was her gym night, he went with her to let go of his frustrations.

After a long gulp of water, Cardin let it all out. "Goodwitch told me I'm about to be kicked out of Beacon because apparently, you need to spend more time reading about grimm than killing them! I had to fight a group of nobody tree-huggers and lost because my team couldn't fight on their own and now, they think I'm the bad guy! All while Jaune and his little group of happy go lucky assholes enjoy wasting everybody's time!".

"Jaune… Jaune… The blond idiot from when we met, right?".

"That one!".

"You're kidding me? HE is scoring higher than you?".

"In Beacon's idiotic system, he apparently is".

"Psh. He wouldn't last a minute out there. From what you describe a small beowolf could kill him with just a look. How did he even get in?".

Cardin went stiff; he might have said more than he intended. "I-uh. Well… I don't know". He then took another sip of water and looked away expecting Elsa to change the subject.

"Really? You sound like you know something".

"Yes, really! … Look. It's not something I like to even talk about. We made a deal about it; that is that!".

She did look at him with an inquisitive look, but thankfully, did change the topic. "Well, you are right anyway. Some people always expect you to just do what they want and when you are doing it better than them, they just hold you back". She then went to another punching bag and started to kick it. "It's always the same. You are getting stronger, but they never see it. You are getting better, but they never see it. 'Too impulsive', 'Too impatient', Then they just drop and forget about you as if you never even existed at all" She gave a final kick strong enough to send the sack crashing against the roof.

She then took a deep breath and sat down again. Cardin did feel better. She understood him perfectly. She valued the strength of the moment, the now, not a 'what if' scenario; being stronger than the others was all that mattered, period. He might have known her for just a few days, but he did start to feel some sort of connection. "So, listen… I was wondering if maybe you would… like… like to…". He was interrupted when Elsa's scroll rang.

"Hold it. I have to take this!" She got up and went to the changing room. Cardin sat there awkwardly waiting for a few minutes while gathering all the courage he could.

Elsa then came out of the changing room. "Well. Glad I could help you. But we need to go back to the real world; I have an important meeting to prepare for with my asshole bosses and you need to go back to school". Before Cardin could start ranting again, she placed a finger on his lips and got closer to his face. "Entertain them for now, let them think they are on the right. I don't think you can quite afford to be out on your own yet, financially speaking. I do feel bad we have to cut this meeting short; how about we meet this weekend? Movie? Dinner? My treat!".

He blinked a few times. "Sure!".

"Good! See you later then". She then kissed his cheek before gathering her stuff and headed back to the changing room. Cardin smiled and decided to head back, feeling everything was right for the first time this day.

* * *

Years of training and experience had Hanzo, Sub Zero and Smoke spent on developing patience. Stakeouts on targets that could last from hours to days was a common occurrence for them. But none of them were as boring as grimm studies. It wasn't the subject, but rather the teacher who spent only a fraction of the class talking about grimm and how to defeat them and the rest on tales from his youth. None the less, they remained seated and looking at the board. The other students were surprised that all four boys managed to stay awake, not noticing that Hanzo, Sub Zero and Smoke were asleep with their eyes open for a long time now while Ermac's body was being controlled by the young souls of boys and girls that found all the stories entertaining.

Yang, on her end, was watching their every move (or lack of, in this case). A plan for Thursday was being reviewed, so Jaune's team went on patrol. And, for the first time, grimm studies became somewhat entertaining, especially for being the after-lunch class.

"… Sadly, I ended up losing that bet. Turns out you can't keep the heads of a King Taijitu after all, but the important thing to remember is that there are some species which are vulnerable to themselves" Port said almost ending his explanation. "A full list of these species can be found on your books. Read it, there will be a one-question quiz next class". He then looked at the clock, noticing there were still fifteen minutes of class left. "Well. Since we still have some time, how about a fight!".

Everyone woke up at that and Ermac elbowed Smoke who fell onto Sub-Zero and he fell onto Hanzo, effectively waking them up.

"Mister Hasashi". At the mention of his name, Hanzo stood up straight.

"Why don't you show us some of your moves against say… a drone lancer!".

Hanzo bowed "as you wish, professor".

"Very well, you'll be facing two drones. But! Since we are talking about defeating grimm with their abilities, you'll have to kill them using their stingers, not your weapons!".

Hanzo bowed once again and went on to change. A few minutes later, he emerged with his yellow robes, face mask, and katanas. Port stood in front of him next to two cages holding the wasp-like creatures. "Aaaaaaand… Begin!". Port released the locks and both creatures flew up.

Once high enough, the lancers fired their stingers towards Hanzo who managed to deflect them with his swords. The lancers then fired their stingers at the same time and that forced Hanzo to do a backflip to get out of their way. Surprisingly enough, the two lancers charged towards him; he jumped the first, but then noticed the second stopping and firing the stinger, Hanzo was able to use some of his fire ability to get away from the projectile's trajectory, but it still managed to cut his shirt, leaving his golden necklace exposed but still on his neck.

Everyone was watching the fight but Yang and Ren. She was ready to tell him to record the fight, but he was way ahead of her.

Hanzo landed with a hand on the ground to keep his balance and saw that they were getting ready to repeat the same strategy. He ran towards the lancer heading his way, and just before the other one stopped in midair, he jumped and teleported behind the second one, grabbed its abdomen and managed to tilt the angle before it launched its stinger; this made the second lancer shoot the harpoon-like object towards the other grimm, effectively killing it. As the remaining lancer retracted its stinger, Hanzo jumped and grabbed it, gravity allowing him to extend some of the natural black cord attached to it. Once he landed, he stepped on the cord, grabbed the stinger and began to spin it around, managing to slash the grimm a few times and stunning it before retrieving the stinger and throwing the spear-like object at the lancer. The attack killed the grimm and it dissipated in the air as he instinctively pulled the cord.

Hanzo took a long breath and turned towards his classmates who were just staring at him, almost as if waiting for him to do something. "What!?" He demanded.

"Come on! Say it!" a girl told him.

'Say what?' He was left wondering. 'Wait… does she mean…?' "Get over here…?".

The room was filled with cheers and some "He said it! He said it!" could be heard from the crowd. Port then stepped next to Hanzo, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Good job, my boy! Nice quick thinking!".

* * *

Yang and Ren insisted on speaking first that night's meeting. They had been acting weird since grimm studies, but no one objected and gave them the board as soon as everyone was present.

"So, what is it, Yang?" Jaune asked.

Both she and Ren were looking at their recordings and sent everyone screen-captured zoom-ins of Hanzo's medallion. "See that?" asked Yang while Ren was drawing something on the board.

"The medallion?" Asked Weiss. "What about it?".

Yang didn't answer and Ren kept pressing forwards "Just to be clear, you are all seeing this figure, right?". He was now pointing at his drawing. The head of a serpent dragon with a forked tongue inside a circle. Everyone nodded.

"Well hold on to your pants boys and girls; because that is the same piece of jewelry Ryu wears on his ponytail everywhere he goes".

Jaune was ready to ask a skeptic question, but Ren interrupted him. "No. It's not a brand logo, a known religious symbol or something like that. We checked".

"There IS a connection between the new kids and Seido! And I know it's not a good one" Concluded Yang.


	13. Chapter 13

For a moment, Raven's world was total darkness. When she finally gathered enough strength to open her eyes, she felt like three tanks had run over her. She woke up expecting the top of her tent, or the map of Remnant she kept hanged, but once her eyes saw the group of mechanical feet in front of her, she remembered everything clearly.

She was ready to tackle them, but her arms and legs were tied. One of the invaders grabbed her by the head and pulled her up making her feel a tickling sensation on the forehead. "Aura level: 20% and growing". The machine said before a second one delivered a punch to her stomach, shattering whatever aura she had regained. "Aura level: 0%". The first robot then dropped her while the second walked away. She managed to sit and saw the aftermath of the attack.

The camp was now a pile of ashes with just some poles, logs and pieces of cloth left standing. New, however, was a white marble desk and platform, and two rows of stone torches that formed a straight path. She noticed she was being held at what could be considered the left of the path with other survivors of the tribe while another group of survivors was on the right.

"Raven! You are awake!" an existed female voice said behind her. She turned around and found a young girl with long brown hair, some falling over her right eye, looking at her with admiration. "Don't worry, I'll give you time to figure a way out, then we'll show that back-stabbing son of a bitch what happens when you betray the Branwen tribe!".

Before Raven could ask her what she was talking about, the blue monster Vernal was fighting, now wearing a blue hooded vest with gold incrustations, blew a strange-looking trumpet. All robots then bowed and she was able to see Hotaru walking the path between the torches, using a more traditional looking version of the armor he used to fight her, but with a red sash and strange red flags with symbols unknown to her written on them.

"The case of the Branwen Tribe against the realm of Seido is now in session! Commander Hotaru of the Seidan Guard presides over this trial. The order of trials will be defined by the defendants will; should none pass, we will choose for you!".

The girl next to Raven gave them a cocky smile and stood up. "I'll go first!". Two robots then dragged her to the empty platform, while she smiled all the way.

Hotaru stood behind the desk and spoke to her. "Joan Cafel, you are accused of conspiracy to kidnap, robbery and damage of public property against the realm of Seido. How do you plea?".

She just kept looking at him with a smug grin and answered him in a mocking tone. "Well gee, Mr. Judge-man, sir. I don't know. I just woke up here!".

"So, you deny any sort of kidnapping against myself and my associate. Mr. Carline Vevento?".

She just nodded. "Kollector, can you play the security footage salvaged from the attacks against me?" he asked the blue man and the other nodded. Hotaru smiled while Kollector pulled the remaining head of one of the androids from his bag. It then projected a video of Joan putting explosives on Hotaru's van. "Madam is that you on the video? Have you lied to this court?".

She just played dumb again and continued her mockery. "Oh, that is not me, Mr.! That is my twin sister! Maraan Cafel".

"Do you have proof that this sister of yours exists?".

She shook her head. "Only my word!"

"Then the court calls 'Shay D. Mann' to testify!".

Every last one of the surviving tribesmen looked with anger and disgust as Shay was brought by the robots. The first to confront Hotaru and getting a tooth knocked out, the first to surrender to the invaders, and the only one who agreed to 'testify against the tribe'.

Hotaru then stood up and walked towards Shay. "Mr… Mann, by the Declaration of Order and the Elder Gods, will you tell the truth on this court?".

Shay was shaking on the spot. He gulped and then answered him. "Y-y-y-yes s-s-sirrrr…".

"Good!" Hotaru remarked before walking towards Joan. "Mr. Mann, for how long have you been a member of the Branwen tribe?".

"Many years now".

"More than two? Three? Five years?".

"More than five, yes…".

"And during those five years, did you meet Miss Cafel and or her sister in question?".

"I met Joan, yes. But she doesn't have a sister".

"Oh!" He remarked with a fake surprise. "And can you prove this?".

"There is a list of all active tribe members. Her name is on that list".

"Kollector?" The blue man then pulled a set of papers from his bag and looked through the pages until finding Joan. "So… this list mentions you, and no supposed sister. Anything to add, miss Cafel?".

She just rolled her eyes at him. "Duh, I lied. Now stop being an idiot with all of this role play of yours and just send us to jail already!".

"Jail? I think you don't quite understand. As the supreme judge in this case, I find you guilty of all charges with the aggravation of lying in court and disrespecting your judge. I, therefore, declare that your sentence: Is death by public execution and it should be carried out immediately!".

He then kicked Joan behind her knees, forcing her to kneel. He grabbed her head with both palms covering her ears. Every tribesman was looking at the scene puzzled as to what would happen next and Raven prayed to the brothers for it not to be what she was thinking.

"Get your hands off me, you brown-nosed… wait… why are my ears feeling hot? It's burning! It bu-AAAAAAAAH!". A yellow glow could be now seen coming from where Hotaru was holding her and then golden liquid falling. She yelled for a few more seconds before her eyeballs dried up and more of the golden lava began to fall out from her eye sockets while she gargled lava that proceeded to cascade down her open mouth and drowning her screams. When her body went limp, Hotaru removed his hands and the body fell on the ground with a loud thud. He then raised his foot and stumped on her skull, leaving a mixture of blood and the golden lava while the body twitched for a few more seconds.

All the spectators watched in horror and went on to yell at Hotaru pleads of forgiveness and threats of violence. "Silence!" yelled Raven. And everyone stopped talking. "Why did you kill her!? Mistral, Vale and Atlas abolished the death penalty long ago!".

Hotaru laughed quietly while moving back to behind his stone desk. "This camp has been conquered by Orderrealm and therefore, we apply our justice, Miss Branwen. Now, who's next?".

No one dared to even move a muscle. It wasn't until Kollector pulled out a list and read the first name, Iod Isope, that a middle-aged man began to panic as he was dragged to the platform.

"Mr. Isope. You are charged with conspiracy to kidnap, robbery and damage of public property against the realm of Seido. How do you plea?".

The man wasted no time and confessed. "Guilty! Guilty! Please don't do that to me, please!".

"You admit your guilt on all three charges?".

"Yes!".

"Very well, you will not face the death penalty then…". Just as Iod was letting out a sigh, Hotaru continued. "You are sentenced to a life of service to the realm until your debt has been paid!".

At that moment, two of the robots grabbed Iod and pulled him by his arms. They then changed their remaining free hands to the metallic buzz-saws and preceded to cut his arms at the elbows. Blood splattered in every direction while the sound of crunching bones filled the air. When they were finally done, Iod fell to the ground screaming while the robots changed their arms to flame throwers and closed his open wounds by forcibly burning his exposed muscles. The robots then proceeded to do the same with his legs, cutting him at the knees and closing his wounds with fire. His remaining body was then carried to a carrier.

"He insists that arms and legs are no longer needed to turn humanoids into cyborgs, so we got rid of them now instead of having to dispose of them in the city". Hotaru commented. "Do not give up, though. Should any of you manage to prove your innocence, you'll be able to walk free and do whatever you want with your life".

One of the tribesmen then stood up. "I want a lawyer! I have the right to a lawyer!".

Hotaru laughed for a moment before answering him "Again, this is not a trial by Remnant laws. In Seido, you represent yourself in court. Now, I believe this qualifies you for being the next". He snapped his fingers and the guards dragged him to the platform.

Raven was busy looking for a way out, if they had just burned the camp down, then she might still have a way to get out. She kept looking until she saw two guns on Kollector's hips: Vernal's weapons. The trial continued while Raven managed to get Kollector's attention. "You! What did you do to  
Vernal!?".

Kollector looked at her puzzled and then noticed her looking at the weapons. He remembered how the older woman seemed to care for the younger one and talked to her as a new defendant was brought forward. "There was no fight. Grimm tore her apart before we got to her". He then grabbed one of the guns and shook it in front of her. "This is all that is left of her" he told her with his hideous grin plastered on his face.

Raven was at a loss for words. "You are lying!".

His grin just grew wider as he then turned around to face a random tribesman shaking on his knees. Kollector then stepped next to him and grabbed him by the neck. "Tell her how her pet died!" he commanded.

"V-v-vernal was stabbed and-and-and eaten by a beowolf. She then fell down a cliff with it; that is all I remember".

Kollector then looked at Raven with a sadistic smile before throwing the guy at the altar. "You are next!" was all he said as Raven felt a turmoil of emotions. She just remained still as members of her tribe were picked and slaughtered.

The trials went on for hours without anyone being able to prove their innocence; not that they thought Hotaru would grant it anyway. In them, tribesmen would turn against each other in order to prove their innocence and even escaping plans were foiled by people willing to snitch. A small window to escape discovered by Raven for some of them to get away was then ruined by a girl who pushed her down and out of the way, but she didn't know where to run to, so she was quickly gunned down and suffered death by brain-melting.

Raven felt all hope was lost. Kollector told her she was being saved for last, and now her 'trial' was just a few people away. She had decided to just sit and wait until an intermittent light on her right began to annoy her. And when she looked at the source, she was at a loss for words. There stood Vernal; without her jacket but definitely her. She gave her hand signals telling her to be quiet and that everything was going to be ok before she moved over quietly.

After their encounter, another tribeswoman was 'sentenced to life' and her limbs got chopped before she was taken to the carrier; now only four people remained before her. 'If Vernal has a plan, I sure hope she starts it soon' she thought.

* * *

Vernal was thankful that all the robots were at the trial. That gave her enough time to go to the only place that now gave her a fighting chance: Their cargo ship. All that raw dust just resting there unprotected was just what she needed. Plan A was to put dust charges all through the remains of the camp and shoot at them to cause explosions and distractions for her and Raven to escape. If all that failed, that was why she had 'plan B' waiting for her in a hidden location.

Getting the dust was easy enough. Placing the charges through specific points of the camp without being noticed was more of a challenge, but she was successful. Thankfully, she returned for Raven just as her 'trial' was beginning. She hid behind a tree and remembered all that happened before she was able to return.

* * *

Vernal and five other members of the tribe were running through the woods. It was already sundown and the faint buzzing of the circular saws could be heard behind them. "Where are we going?" she asked the other survivors.

"Far away from them!" One older man answered her.

"So you don't have a plan!?"

"Getting away from them is enough for me!"

Before she could retort him, another older woman with short hair stopped them and pointed to a cave. "Let's hide in there!". Everyone went on but Vernal picked up a fallen branch with leaves and proceeded to clean her tracks as best as she could.

They entered the cave deep enough so that they would still be able to see the light of the entrance, but far away as to not be seen or heard. They all laid against the walls to catch their breaths, but calming down was not on the close future.

"We are gonna die, we are gonna die, we are gonna die" one man kept repeating. Another woman was now crying while covering her face with her hands, and the woman who found the cave was clearly getting irritated by what the others were doing. Vernal was more worried about rescuing Raven, but denying she was just as scared as the others would be a lie.

"We are gonna die, we are gonna die, we are gonna die" the first guy kept repeating until another bigger and muscular tribesmen had enough.

"SHUT UP! They'll find us if you keep talking!".

"They'll find us if you two don't shut up!" the woman who found the cave yelled while the cries of the other woman grew. They all began to yell and Vernal was now reaching her boiling point. She then heard something and fired a shot at the wall, effectively making everyone silent. "Did you hear that?".

They were faint, but they were clearly steps, and they were getting closer. "They found us!" the crying woman whispered.

"No… those steps are too fast to be them… and too loud… It sounds… like…" In all of their altercations, Vernal never considered an important factor: They were all emanating negative emotions.

The cave rumbled and a mid-sized Death Stalker came from a wall deeper on the tunnel. All the survivors ran towards the only exit available; robots be damned. On the way, a man and the crying woman fell to the ground. Vernal wanted to return and help them, but by the time she arrived, one was grabbed by one of the Grimm's pincers while the other had been stabbed by the stinger. Vernal then left with the others only to find Kollector and his scouting team with flame throwers aimed at them.

"Enough games, child! Come with us and face justice now or as burnt humans!" he threatened them.

Vernal had to be glad, in some way, for what happened next as the Death Stalker emerged from the cave roaring and distracting their attackers for some time. The three remaining members ran as fast as they could, but they were still panicking and soon enough, got the attention of a pack of beowolves. She tried her best to keep them at bay firing her guns at any beowolf that got too close while also having to keep an eye on the robots she knew Kollector had sent her way.

They kept going until the worst that could have happened, happened: They were now at the edge of a cliff. The four remaining tribesmen then looked back at the pack of beowolves that were now surrounding them. Vernal didn't know if she could take on an entire pack while protecting the others, but she was then able to see two of the robots coming from the woods. She expected some of the beowolves to turn around and face their new pray, she expected the rest of the beowolves to get close to them, but she did not expect to be stabbed in the back. Literally.

The pain made her drop her weapons, and when she looked over her shoulder, a small knife was now sticking out of her back, and the culprits seemed to be two of the other survivors, the short-haired woman who was looking at her with anger, and the bulky man who was pointing his gun at her. "You had weapons this entire time!?" Vernal yelled at them.

"We didn't want to waste them. And right now seems to be the best time to use them!" the man said.

"If we surrender you to them, they might forgive us!" the woman said with a nervous laugh.

Vernal, in the meantime, had had it. She tried everything in her power to save them and this was the thanks that she got? She just screamed as hard as she could and allowed the rage to take control. Not caring about anything anymore, she tackled both to the ground. A beowolf then jumped at them and his force was enough to send all four down the cliff.

On their way down, they fell on a rock platform sticking out. Vernal and the woman got up while the beowolf began to devour the man. They then heard crumbling and saw how the platform was falling. They managed to jump to a small cavern hidden by the edge of the cliff and saw as the beowolf fell with the remains of the man to their doom.

"Whew, that was close. Right Ver- AGH!". The woman was unable to finish her sentence as Vernal pounced her to the ground and began to strangle her. She then remembered the knife on her back and took it out. She then covered the woman's mouth as she stabbed her on the neck, not letting her go until all movement had stopped and blood was not gushing out anymore.

She was able to hear the robots moving towards the hill, so she hid herself and the corpse against the mountain as best as she could.

"Analysis: The three remaining subjects have fallen over a cliff with sustainable damage done by a beowolf. Chances of survival: 3.96% each".

"Target acquired: 40.3098 degrees to the left. A piece of clothing remains from the scene. Object property of the female known as 'Vernal'. Begin retrieval". She then heard as if a harpoon had been shot at the ground and saw some gravel falling as loud metallic stumps got closer and closer before stopping. They were then replaced by quick consecutive stumps getting further away. "Object retrieved. Should the bodies be retrieved?".

"Negative. Time and resources would be wasted. We must return to Kollector now".

As she heard the robots getting away, she let go of a deep breath she was not aware she was holding. She then fell on her knees, feeling the need to rest for the first time.

* * *

Vernal woke up and noticed that the sun was now going down. If anything, it meant that she had been asleep for a few hours. She then turned to see the body of the woman next to her, and as much as she wanted to push her remain off the cliff, she decided against that and carried it to the cave where the other two bodies were to at least give them some sort of burial.

All the robots had left, and she was thankful that the camp was not so far away. In their rush, they seemed to have been running around the settlement only getting away slowly. The smoke, unfortunately, was enough of a landmark to tell her where she had started.

Arriving at the camp, she was able to see all the strange things the invaders had brought. She hid behind some bushes, away from any of the robots' line of sight and arrived just as one of the bigger members of the tribe accused Raven of blackmailing him into cooperating with the tribe. Soon after that, Hotaru declared him guilty and then preceded to do what she could only define as 'melting his brain' ad then popping his head open. A disgusting display, to be sure, but she had only one priority: free Raven.

After some time, she got an idea. She managed to get to what remained of their looted storage tent and found two big sacks. 'I need to return to the cave. Fast!' she thought. 'Hope they haven't checked under the main tent'.

After moving around everything she needed, she was just missing a distraction; but before she could get it, it was important to let Raven know she was alive and coming for her. Using the remaining of a mirror, she was able to get her attention and to instruct her to keep calm. Everything was set except for a distraction. An idea then popped on her head: The dust that Hotaru had recovered. If she worked fast enough, she would be able to stop Raven's execution.

* * *

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* * *

**_Shout out to Shadowwolf20 for being a passionate reader, it means a lot._**

**_Don't worry, this story will not be dropped to the pile of neglect; I have the whole thing thought from beginning to end and I'll get there.  
As for Outworld and others, We'll see..._**


	14. Chapter 14

With a loud stump from Hotaru's foot, the penultimate survivor of the Branwen tribe massacre was now dead. As Raven was now being carried by two of the robots towards the now oily red platform, she only prayed that Vernal's plan happened sooner than later.

"Raven Branwen!" Hotaru said. "You are accused of conspiracy to kidnap, robbery, terrorism, damage of public property and damage against public officials and associates to the realm of Seido. How do you plea?".

'Here goes nothing…' Raven thought. "Not guilty!".

Not surprised in the slightest, Hotaru just smiled before addressing her again. "Very well. You deny your involvement in the kidnappings of both Mr. Carline Vevento and myself then?".

"Yes!".

"Even though you confessed to your crimes when speaking to me earlier today?".

"Do you have any record of what was talked about in that meeting or that it even took place?".  
This caught Hotaru's interest; Raven knew how to hold herself for the moment in court. But it didn't matter. "As a matter of fact, I do". He then stood up and removed the top of his armor, pulled out a small knife and made an incision on his sternum. He then reached inside and pulled out a small metal cube. "I present audio recordings of my time as a prisoner in the Branwen camp. Seidan Guard protocols adopted a year ago require all members to be recorded permanently, as per seidan legislation". He then handed the device to one of the robots who inserted it on his nape and then played the audio in question.

_"… Plus, those ten million liens that are missing are still useful"._

Her recording said. The robot then fast forwarded it.

_"… Before we had a pawn. Now we have the king…"._

Another fast forward.

_"… And the spy you tried to sneak into our tribe? Very cute detail; poetic in a way. We take one of your men by infiltration, and you try to do the same. But the trick only works one way. How else would you explain we knew how much dust to use to blow up your protection glass?"_

The robot stopped playing the recordings and stepped back in place. "Sounds to me like you were prepared to take me prisoner, and you also knew a lot about a company that you had no clearance to know about. And who would this 'King' and 'Pawn' be that you are referring to? Could it be related to the roles of Myself and Mr. Vevento in our organization? And who else, if not Mr. Vevento when speaking of having taken, quote, 'One your men by infiltration'?" Hotaru questioned her.

That last statement gave Raven an idea to give Vernal some more time. "If you are confessing to be working with other criminals, what gives the right to judge me? Wouldn't you be a criminal as well?".

Hotaru froze in place. She could see then how his fists were now balling and shaking. He then turned around and punched the marble table strong enough to dent it. "I AM NO CRIMINAL YOU DELUSIONAL BROD!" he yelled at her, gritting his teeth after the insult. After noticing he had just lost his composure, he tried to calm himself before speaking again. "If you wish for the prosecution of my 'crimes', you can do it after you prove your innocence here, that is". He returned to sit behind the desk. "From that recording, it can also be determined that you were the intellectual architect of the destruction of five motorized vehicles property of the Orderrealm. Is that correct?".

"Well… if you think about it… it might have been a service. You know with the planet, and dust-based gas, we might have just saved a few…" Raven babbled as Vernal was giving her a signal with the mirror and went quiet when Vernal moved again.

"Miss Branwen…?" Hotaru asked for her attention. Noticing her eyesight was not on him; meaning something else was distracting her.

"Huh!?" she finally said looking his way once again.

Hotaru was no fool. She had seen something that interested her… or someone! He stepped out of his desk and yelled orders to his men. "Guards! Search the perimeter!".

No sooner than that, one of the robots felt a pellet of red dust hitting him on the head and then falling on his feet. "enemy presence confirmed, begin protocol-" he was unable to finish as the pellet exploded. Then another, and another until a total of four charges went off. Leaving a curtain of smoke as a result.

Vernal then managed to take down both of Raven's captors before cutting her restrain. Both women then ran away. "Hope you have a plan!" Raven said.

"I do, but we have to be fast!".

They were already being followed by the robots and Vernal then turned and fired on the ground, creating an explosion and taking one of the robots while the others were stunned by the lack of vision. Part one of her plan consisted of leaving well placed raw dust packs in certain parts of the camp to offer bot a distraction and an offensive mechanism that would allow them to clear the path.

"That was easy" commented Vernal.

"Infrared mode activated!" they heard the machines say before running straight through the smokescreen in their direction. 'Too much for good luck…' she thought.

They were then surprised by one of the robots who landed in front of them. Vernal blocked his attacks while Raven dived under him to then stand behind him; she then grabbed his right arm and proceeded to hit the place where his forearm should be with a well-placed elbow smack. This not only broke his arm but also made the buzz-saw appear and start spinning. Not one to throw away opportunities, Raven then used the saw to cut the head of the robot.

Their victory was short-lived, however, as more robots began to catch on with them. Vernal then took Raven to a hole she had dug and covered with remains of the fires before firing another round in the opposite direction that blew up what was left of the main gate. They both entered the covered hole and waited for the robots to follow the fake trail towards the wall.

A loudspeaker was then turned on shortly after, and Kollector made an announcement. "Raise the dome! They will not escape!". Sure enough, walls made from translucent blue hexagons surrounded a bigger area around the camp. "Initiate alarm mode!".

Hotaru then made an announcement himself. "I want them dead! We've had enough of Raven and her games".

Once the guards had left and their proximities were cleared, Vernal was able to explain her plan to Raven. "I checked the camp areas; they found the tunnel under your tent and the other escape routes. We are stuck".

"Great, any new ideas then?".

"How is your aura? Enough to transform?"

"No, they kept beating me as soon as I gained some, I regained some, but I don't know how long it will last".

Striking out options, Vernal then climbed to the border of the hole and used the mirror to look in the direction of a hill in particular. "Yes!" she whispered excitedly. "Their shield covered the cliff area just outside of the camp!".

"And how does that help us?".

"There is a cave not far away from here. We can use it while you get your energy back. With any luck, it'll also have an exit".

"Sounds like a plan then?".

Vernal just nodded and they got out of their hiding spot once the coast was clear and began their journey towards the cave. The way there was trickier than expected, though, with the robots on constant patrol and shooting fire blasts at the slightest movement or sound, even those of animals. Nonetheless, they managed to leave the camp and bypass some of the robots before reaching a path blocked by a squad of at least five robots patrolling it.

The women were slowly moving through the vegetation but were taken out of their concentration when they heard Kollector's voice getting closer and giving orders to his own squad. They kept moving at a slower pace but, unfortunately, one of them stepped on a fallen branch and it snapped, alerting all their enemies. "They are here…" the blue monster growled. "Scout the area!".

Although a relatively large sector, they would be found eventually if they didn't move; but moving could alert them of their location. Time was running out, and Raven decided to play a wild card. "Do you still have dust explosives?" she whispered.

"Well… yes… but why?".

"Give them to me".

Vernal did not question Raven's orders. She gave her the hand-sized bag and had no time to question her before she saw a corvid flying up in the air.

The robots wasted no time in shooting fire at the bird who barely managed to dodge the incoming projectiles. Thankfully, no one noticed an exact moment in which the corvid threw the package into a blaze of fire and then grabbed it again, flying up and in the direction of the camp.

The robots and Kollector dismissed the bird, but Vernal was worried as she was able to notice how the flapping of her wings was too rapid. She knew Raven was already getting tired; Raven, on the other hand, not only was aware of that but also that the package was getting hotter and hotter. It was ready to go out at any second and she needed to be as high as possible and over the camp in order to not be seen and to get their attackers as far away from the cave's trail as possible.

Raven could feel her wings getting heavier and she started to notice how she sometimes began to lose altitude. As the bomb was getting unbearably hot, she managed to see Hotaru patrolling the other side of the camp. 'Here goes nothing!' she thought and dropped the package. Sadly, physics was never her strength; but the bomb did manage to land some feet away from him and the blast was enough to push him into the ground.

Deciding to not waste any more time, she immediately turned around and glided back to Vernal and noticing all the robots running towards Hotaru. She felt relieved when noticing Kollector heading in the same direction as the others. Relief turned into a feeling of tiredness, however, and her gliding was slowly turning into a freefall. She was then abruptly awakened when Vernal yelled her name and she managed to glide again for a few feet, and as she was now at a survivable distance from the ground, she changed back into a human. She fell on the ground and then rolled for a few moments, but thankfully no severe damage was done.

"Need some help?" she heard Vernal say behind her, the relief on her voice revealing she was thankful.

"I'm fine… but I could use a shoulder to walk".

Vernal did not say anything else and just placer Raven's arm over her shoulders before both resumed their way to the cave.

* * *

They finally arrived at the cave and immediately went inside. After some time, they reached a wider section in which Vernal then quickly kneeled and began to dig while talking to Raven, who had managed to find some edible berries and was now resting against a stalagmite. "We don't have a long time, if we wish to fool them and make them go away, we'll need to-" Vernal was explaining before being cut-off by Raven when she placed a hand over Vernal's mouth.

"Shhh" Raven whispered as she looked around the cave. Vernal was confused as to what she was doing, but then saw her move around until she reached the opposite wall and then was able to hear a faint clanking step. Slowly, Raven took out the knife and quickly threw it towards the entrance, effectively hitting one of the robots on the head who then went stiff while producing electric shocks; and after a few seconds, it finally fell on the floor with a loud thud.

At that moment, two other robots fell from the roof and remained in a crouching position. Both women took a fighting pose but were not expecting explosions coming from the entrance that made giant boulders fall and block their light source and emergency escape route. The permanent darkness was interrupted when both robots began to produce light and their faces produced a holographic replica of Hotaru's.

"Very impressive, Miss Branwen. Your diversion might have allowed you to get this far, but do you really think Kollektor did not notice this cave while looking for your little friend some hours ago? Or that we would not send security over there when we realized that our force field would encompass it as well?".

"And let me guess, you wanted to trap us until we run out of air, kill ourselves or you have to come to pick us up? Guess what, genius?". She then grabbed one of the robot by the 'chin' and turned his head towards the hole that the Death Stalker had made previously that day. "By the time you get the boulders out of the way, we'll be long gone" she commented, with a mocking tone.

Hotaru laughed at her statement. "Then I suggest you work fast, Raven". As he finished his sentence, both of the robots and the one on the floor opened their chests and the bandits were able to see a bright yellow core that was turning whiter and hotter; they then understood his plan: bombs.

As Hotaru began to laugh once again Raven took a rock and destroyed one of the robots' head. "Oh, Miss Branwen. I may no longer see or hear you. But I do know it is finally over for you. You have no weapons, no aura, nowhere to go. You and your friend are done! Justice has finally caught on with you!" he managed to say before Raven crushed the head of the other robot.

* * *

Outside of the cave, Hotaru, Kollector and a cuffed Shay, along with a battalion of robots, were waiting behind an improvised metal barricade.

"How long Kollector?" Hotaru asked. They were told that it would take around ten minutes for the cores to overheat and that the explosion range was of around two miles. With three cores in that cave, they would at least have to die by being crushed under who knows how many rocks if they managed to go down a tunnel.

"Overheat in… four… three… two… one…!".

A giant pillar of light was then seen on the distance, a fraction of a second later the booming noise came, and finally a current of wind that blew dirt and leaves on their direction. "Scouts!" Hotaru shouted. Ten robots then ran towards the remains of the cave.

* * *

A few hours later, Hotaru and his lackeys arrived at what remained of the cave. "Progress?" he asked.

One of the robots stepped next to him, bowed and showed a holographic map. "We are reaching the cavity where the explosion originated from, sir!".

Soon after, one of the diggers sounded an alarm. "Remains detected!".

Everyone but Shay ran towards the digger, and sure enough, there it was. A burnt skeleton lied on the ground with burnt remains of what must have been a skirt and something on her head. A few minutes later, a second and shorter skeleton was found along with the metal remains of the exploding robots and the remains of whatever sort of weapons they had until this point.

"Analyzing remains. Remains match to the chemical composition of the clothes worn by the fugitives". Happy with the results, Hotaru extended his arm on Kollector's way and opened his hand. The Naknada then gave him the microphone to control the robots. "Mission status: Success. Begin clean up and return to base" he said with an air relief and pride. Immediately, all robots began to march back to the remains of the Branwen Tribe's camp. Hotaru then removed the top of his armor as Kollector took what remained of his shirt from his bag and gave it to him.

Not sure about what to do next, Shay then approached them carefully. "Mr. Hotaru, sir. I helped you as I promised I would. Am I free to go?". Both of his captors turned around and looked at him with disdain.

After a short while, Hotaru addressed him once he was nearly done buttoning the shirt. "Not yet. You still have one more thing to do for us before you are free" he told Shay as he did the last button of his shirt. Hotaru then extended his right arm once again and Kollector grabbed him by the wrist with one of his right hands while one of the left hands retrieved the mace. A horrible crunching noise was made once Kollector used the mace to break Hotaru's radius, but he merely took the pain and bit his lips. "You know your orders, right?" he asked Kollector while grabbing his now broken arm.

"Wait in Atlas until you come out of the forest. Pick you up and return to Atlas in time for the councilman's re-election announcement party".

"Good work Kollector. Where is my prize?".

"Safe with my collection," the Naknada said while patting his bag and giving him a hideous smile.

"Good. Now go!". He bowed to Hotaru and a red portal opened behind Kollector and he left without saying anything else. After the portal closed, Hotaru then turned his attention towards Shay who stepped back in fear as Hotaru extended his open hand towards him. "Bandana!" he told him. Shay understood immediately and gave him the piece of cloth which Hotaru then used to make an improvised arm hanger.

Shay stepped away slowly and then gave him an awkward smile while Hotaru just looked at him with a frown. "Should we… be going…?" he asked before he started moving again.

Hotaru's arm snapped towards him and grabbed Shay by the collar of his shirt. He then pulled him towards his face before talking through his teeth. "Don't think for a moment that you are free, yet. I have had to fight out of worst places with more than just a broken arm so if you do anything against me, know there are at least five different ways in which I can end your pathetic life! And when we are back in civilization, you better not tell, mention or even suggest something of what has happened today outside of what we tell you to say. If you do, we'll know. And if we meet again, under those circumstances, you'll be wishing for me to burn your head off. Is that clear!?".

Shay just nodded and gave an affirmative whimper. Hotaru then unhanded him and began to walk for a moment before stopping and slowly turning towards Shay. "Are you coming!?".

Shay then sprinted towards Hotaru and both men kept walking towards the hidden road and outside of the woods. They would arrive at a village in a couple of days and the deterioration of their clothes in the meanwhile would be an excellent coverup.


	15. Chapter 15

Ren was uncomfortable. Not because he had been climbing a completely vertical metal surface for the last seven minutes, not because he was wearing a skin-tight black suit and carrying a relatively heavy single strap bag while doing so, not even because he had given up lying to himself about staring at nothing else than Blake's butt for about five minutes now, but because his perfect assistance record had been thrown overboard. He understood that what he was doing was important and he would do it again and as many times as necessary, of course; but the thought remained bugging him.

"Just a few more floors. How are you holding?". Blake whispered to him.

"I'm fine. You?".

"Could be better… and don't worry, I understand the situation; I've been on your side before. I won't tell Nora or anyone".

Ren never thought it possible to feel embarrassed and relieved at the same time, but here he was. Fortunately, they were getting close to their destination; and just as they were ready to reach the eighteenth floor, a door opened, and Sun's head popped in while a panicking voice could be heard behind him. He looked back at the kitchen and then dropped a scraper that Blake caught with ease.

"Sun! I told you that the scraper couldn't fall down the shoot! And even more that it could still be there!" they heard someone scream.

"It didn't hurt to check! Now calm down". Sun answered before moving out their way.

Blake arrived at the opening and was then able to see Sun and a deer faunus in a chef's uniform facing her backward while Sun made a twirl with his tail. "That's the signal. Go!" Blake told Ren. They both got out of the shoot, not making any discernible noise and got under the cloth of the cart closest to the shoot as Sun tried to calm the chef.

"Look, we did our best. I'm sure he'll understand".

"ARE YOU CRAZY!? You were among the first to meet Pinky! He'll swallow me whole! He went to prison for leaving three guys in a coma for less!".

When Ran and Blake were secure under the cloth, she placed the scraper under the cart and if Sun's timing was perfect…

"Look, we have to tell him now, or desserts will be late and…" he pushed the cart and then stopped when he felt the wheels had hit something "Hey, what is that?" Sun said as quick footsteps got closer and then stopped just next to them.

"OH, THANK GOODNESS!" the faunus said. "Now he will not pummel me to dust!".

"Who is going to pummel you, Cian?" a new deeper voice asked.

Sun, confident as always, then explained "Pinky, we are sorry. We almost lost your scraper. And even though we found it, we are still very sorry".

"You were honest, that is all that counts. Thank you, guys. Now if you excuse me, I have cupcakes to make!" the voice said before leaving.

"Well… I'll go wait for the desserts. See ya, Cian!".

As Sun pushed the cart, both Blake and Ren were curious about this Pinky guy. Sun had not gone into detail about him, only that he could be a messy baker leaving his utensils around his workstation and often in the area where Cian worked whenever he needed to get ingredients. Blake and Ren peaked under the cloth and were surely not expecting the guy to be a 6.7 crocodile faunus with overgrown muscles. Ren had to admire his glazing technique, though.

It took Pinky ten minutes to finish desserts. And just as Ren's watch blinked 12:00, they could hear a whole choir of wheels moving alongside Sun's cart. After an elevator ride and another short trip later, they heard footsteps heading their way, hungry employees most likely. If everything went according to plan, then it was time for the secret weapon. Ren reached into his bag and took out a small mold of potato salad which he then emptied next to the cart once Sun knocked it three times. Almost immediately, they heard a woman scream and then a loud thud on the floor.

On the other side of the cloth, every office worker and waiter were standing next to a middle-aged chubby woman from accounting who had slipped on some potato salad that, as far as everyone was concerned, someone must have accidentally dropped. Sun then moved the cart out of the way so that security could help her while he had also volunteered to go to the broom-closet for the first aid kit and some cleaning equipment.

No one paid attention as he opened the door to the closet and then pulled the cart close enough to the entrance so that the back was now covered by the door or that he remained standing for a few more seconds while Blake and Ren got out of the cart and hid on the walls next to the doorframe.

"This doesn't change the schedule. You have until around 1:10 pm to pull this off. Good luck" Sun told them as he also took the first aid kit and a mop trolley. As soon as the door closed, Ren began to work and pulled out a screwdriver, jumped on the shelf and took out the screws that held the ventilation's gate. Blake caught the falling metal object and quietly placed it aside.

"Are you sure they won't find it?" Ren asked as he got in the vent.

"Sun said the gate is hidden by shadows; he should have also pick-pocketed the main server room's key yesterday and the backup today. If he gets and hides this one, we'll have our 45 minutes without a problem" she assured him as she climbed into the vent as well. A few moments later, and after a few twists and turns, they felt the cold of the air-conditioners. Now they knew they had arrived at their destination. Another quick unscrew later, and they were now in. Ren, however, decided to put the gate back in place. "What are you doing?" She asked him with genuine curiosity.

"I don't want to risk it. Besides, I'm not going to screw it back in place".

The room was an elongated hall with the computer systems at either side with one small, but secure, metal door at the other side. Blake and Ren then took out their wires and scrolls, but there was still something strange about this.

Blake connected her table-sized scroll to the wires and then talked to Ren as he was locating the correct port. "Is it me… or this room…".

"Smaller than expected? Thought the same". He then found the right port and plugged the cable in.

Blake was thankful that the White Fang had not overwritten her access to their hacking software, and after a few minutes, they were in. Their objective was clear, they had no time to hand-pick and find information. Just get what you can, leave, and the useful information will be sorted out later.

Everything was going fine after the first ten minutes. Ren decided to meditate while Blake went on to read from one of her books while they left the scroll secure in one of the shelves. Funny enough, it took them some time to find after a while because of how well it blended with the scene. Twenty minutes in, the drive was 46% done and things had gone without a hitch. But suddenly, Blake was able to hear yelling from the other side of the door. Security guards, most likely, fighting over who lost the access key. She would have ignored them, but then a small sizzling noise caught her attention. She then saw a bright spot in the door and immediately got next to Ren. "They are getting in!" she told him. With nowhere to hide, they both then got up on each of the server rows closest to the vent at each side and putting their masks on.

With a loud clank, a red-bright sword made out light went through the door and started to cut a rectangle through it at a quick pace. A few moments later, the sword retracted and then an inhumanly strong kick sent the now loose piece of metal crashing to the wall on the other side. From the hole then emerged three faunus, a female with short black hair and rabbit ears, a slim brown-haired man with a raccoon's tail and a burly tanned man with white hair and warthog tusks. They seemed normal at first, but then they noticed that the faunus were not part of security. They were a cleaning lady, a bell hopper and a technician. Confusion turned into panic when they saw the technician's arm was replaced by the blade they saw before and that the connection with the arm seemed to be surrounded by torn pieces of flesh.

Ren and Blake just looked at each other for a moment before Ren then Looked with panic at the scroll still plugged in. Blake realized the same once she noticed his eyesight. They were, however, taken away from their thought when the woman spoke in a flat and unemotional voice.

"Access to the room gained, begin scanning process".

The suits, thankfully, were made to block thermal scanners; courtesy of Pyrrha's credit card and express delivery. Any remaining heat signature should be confused with those emanating from the servers which were starting to get uncomfortable for the two of them.

"Search the area!" the technician ordered in the same type of monotonous voice, and the two other faunus went on to search. They arrived at the first server and looked down and then up for a total of three times before climbing and looking at the space between the ceiling and the top of the server. They then got down and moved to the next one. Blake and Ren were hidden some servers away, but it was only a matter of time before they were discovered. Even worse, the Scroll would be found first.

Panic was more than obvious in both their eyes, but they would get nowhere by just being afraid of being discovered. They then searched their bags as quietly as possible trying to find something useful.

* * *

"Never thought I would get bored of playing 'Remnant'. I bet Blake and Ren had so much fun infiltrating the hotel…" Ruby commented. She, Nora and Yang were playing a round of their board game in the library. Or more like pretend to play, since they were spying on Jerrod, aka 'Ermac', who was using one of the computers, waiting for him to do something.

Classes were over, and while Sun, Neptune, Blake and Ren were infiltrating The Night Beetle, the remaining six students were spying on whomever these people claimed to be. While Tomas, Kuai Liang and Hanzo went to spar, Ermac decided to go to the library and do something there. And from the looks of it, the boy suffered a huge case of attention deficit, having more than 20 tabs with historical information, paranormal and magical research, conspiracy websites, games, recipes and a lot more open. What's more, he was always switching left to right in a minute and a half.

He remained doing the same thing until he suddenly stopped and turned to touch something on his left pocket. "Movement!" whispered Yang as they all turned and pretended to keep playing. Ermac, in the meanwhile, looked at both sides before taking his bag and leaving. The girls waited for him to be at the library's entrance before they followed; and just as Yang was retrieving her scroll, she got a message from Jaune telling them that their other people of interest were on the move as well.

This was very interesting. All boys seemed to have received some sort of message at the same time and knew what it was without even looking. Yang also knew that whatever was in his pocket, could not be his scroll, or at least not the one he used for Beacon. That one was stored on his bag; Weiss saw him pulling it out to check the time during History and then putting it back.

They followed him until he met with his team and they all went to a bathroom located far away from the cafeteria; and after Tomas made sure the coast was clear, they went in. Yang met with the other team as soon as the door closed and compared notes. "Ok, what's new, Vomit-boy?".

"First of all, don't call me that… it's embarrassing. Second, besides watching them destroying Beacon's training equipment beyond possible repair and learning that more than one student is willing to get the floor mopped with his or her face by the 'cool new guys', they seem to have some sort of secret communication device".

"Figured that much from our side as well… the communication device part, that is. Well, off you go then!".

Jaune looked at her perplexed. "Where?".

Weiss rolled her eyes before addressing him. "To the bathroom, Jaune!".

He was getting scared and a little offended that they seemed to be ok offering him as a scapegoat. "But… but why m- oooooh". He realized then that said place was, after all, a boy's bathroom. With no other defense, Jaune took a deep breath and marched inside. A few seconds passed before Jaune emerged from the bathroom again with a panicked face. "Girls… we have a problem: they are gone!".

It took them a few moments before fully comprehending what he meant. Weiss rolled her eyes and then questioned him "Fine, where do the windows lead to?".

"No, they are 'gone' gone. No trace. I checked all the cubicles and believe me, there is no trace of them".

Breaking conventional rules, or not, the girls had to confirm that for themselves. They ran into the bathroom, and indeed, no trace of team KHTE could be found. They checked everything for at least three times and even allowed Nora to climb on every surface available, they even helped her to get on all sorts of unimaginable hiding spots for normal people. But after well over half an hour, nothing.

They went out of the bathroom even more confused. "They HAD to leave through a window, it's the only explanation!".

Pyrrha crossed her arms and just turned around to face her and the others. "They were shut, and it even took us over two minutes to open them, they even made that horrible and loud screeching sound; we would have heard it, and Jaune didn't take that long to enter, so he would have seen them trying to open it".

"Don't Hanzo and Tomas have teleportation semblances though?". Asked Nora.

"But not Kuai Liang and Ermac". Answered Ruby.

"Hidden passages through the walls? Secret tunnels on the pipes?" Yang just mentioned. Right now, every theory was a valid one, wild as they may be.

They debated for a few more minutes before they heard the door lock turning. Instinctively, Ruby grabbed the person nearest to her, Nora, and used her semblance to take them both far away. Weiss used her glyphs as well while grabbing Pyrrha, leaving Jaune and Yang alone. The door opened and from it emerged Hanzo, who adjusted his uniform before looking with eyes wide open at Yang and Jaune.

Yang looked between Hanzo and Jaune, then quickly grabbed the second's hand. "I told you it was occupied… babe!" She then looked in Hanzo's way and waved her hand. "Sorry…".

At first, Jaune didn't understand what Yang was doing. Then, the realization hit him like a bag of bricks on his head. His cheeks went bright red, but he kept the act going on anyway. "Yeah…! We got used to it… being alone… at this time… yeah…".

"Pretty please, don't tell anyone about us!".

Hanzo just looked at them with an eyebrow raised but was taken out of his thoughts by Tomas yelling at him. "What is taking so long!". He then pushed Hanzo from the door frame and emerged with the rest of his team. They all then saw the blonds and went quiet before looking at their hands.

"They are apparently regular users of this bathroom. For purposes other than intended" Hanzo commented, clearly not enjoying thinking what he was thinking.

"Oh… well… don't get caught by Professor Goodwitch then, bye" Tomas said as then every member of team KHTE then left waving Jaune and Yang farewell. "Told you, you owe me fifty!" was the last thing they heard Tomas say as they went down the hall.

* * *

'Panic' would be the only word that both Blake and Ren would use to describe their current predicament. The guards were getting closer and there seemed to be nothing that could stop them. That is until Ren found one of the bronze balls Pyrrha had used the other day to warn them that team KHTE had left their room.

A plan immediately formed on his head, and Blake was sure she had figured the same; but for it to work, they needed to be very precise; they needed the guards looking on top of the servers to be down and for the guy at the entrance to be looking away from Ren so that the ball would pass unnoticed. And with only five rows left, they need for that window to happen soon. Blake analyzed their patterns and figured that the window would happen on the next two searches. Ren prepared his throw and tried his best to not hold the ball so tight because of his nerves and making it leave on an undesired trajectory. The time for action was getting closer, both were nervous, but as soon as the guards got to the ground, the door guard was now facing Blake's direction. Blake then gave the signal and Ren threw the ball.

At first, he thought he had messed the throw when it missed by some inched the head of the technician, but that seemed to work in their favor, as he immediately turned around. "Earthrealmers heading down the hall! Head down corridor KF-94!".

Both of his companions left with him, and both Ren and Blake wasted no time in taking back the scroll and getting out as fast as possible. Once they were back on the ventilation ducts, they heard the guards returning and froze in place, fearing that their movement might alert them. "Room is clear! They have left the proximities!" yelled the female faunus. A moment after, they heard their steps getting away from them. Ren and Blake then let out a sigh of relief and headed back to the closet, but once they arrived, they noticed the door was still locked. Sun knew the plan through and through, and the door should be unlocked. 'What could be holding him?' Blake wondered.

* * *

"It's okay, Scotch. No one is accusing you of anything… yet. But I'm sure we can figure all out" Maurice said trying to calm down the floor's security guard. Needless to say, everything went according to plan: Blake and Ren's actions had been detected, but nothing could be done because the main access card and the copy had been secured and hidden by Sun during the previous days.

As such, Sun was now on his way to retrieve both spies and expected to have a clear way to close the broom closet that had been 'accidentally' left unlocked. But he did not count with security being in the office section and not at the doors of the server room.

"I know I had both of them at some point, I don't know how they could have gone missing". The man was facing Maurice while two 'superior' guards stood beside him.

"Is there anything unusual that happened during the previous days, Mr. Montes?".

"I already told you there was… wait…" the guy was now looking at Sun's direction. "I remember bumping into waiters regularly!".

Both men then looked to his direction. "Possibilities exist for one of them to have taken the key cards," one said. "All of you, form a line. Maurice, please identify which of them have worked in the same shift schedule as Mr. Montes".

Sun was among those picked. But they were not taken to a secluded place. They instead remained on the floor and divided into two groups while the security guards were filtering the other employees and preparing the interrogation. Knowing it was only a matter of time for them to figure that it was he who stole the key cards, Sun had to come up with something, and quickly.

He looked around and noticed the plant pot, in which he hid the cards, was on the way of a cart. '… And with enough speed… Bingo!' Sun thought. 'Now, all that is missing is someone to-' "Hey Sun!".

Sun was startled by the voice of Maurice who was standing behind him. The mouse faunus just looked at him with surprise, but continued. "Sun, I want to tell you that you don't have to worry at all. It's just standard procedure and, to tell you the truth, I have full confidence in your innocence!".

That made Sun feel a little guilty. But then another idea popped in his head. "Thanks Maurice, but you saw how they looked at me. I'd be surprised if I'm not the first person they call". He then started to walk next to the cart and Maurice followed just as he wanted.

"I… I can… will vouch for you! I've never seen an employee work with so much passion. You can't be guilty of anything!". They reached the cart and Sun very carefully removed the safety lock to the cart without Maurice or the others noticing.

"Really? Your best employee? I've been here for less than a week!".

"Well yeah… But the way you treat everyone as a friend, the energy you bring to your post" as he was listing his praises, Maurice then leaned on the cart. "And your very infectious smiiii-". As soon as he placed pressure on the cart, the vehicle rolled forward, and sure enough, crashed into the pot and a loud crashing noise alerted everyone on the floor.

As all the employees gathered to see what happened to Maurice, Sun pulled him up. Embarrassed, Maurice fixed his suit and began to ramble. "When I find who was responsible for leaving that thing unlocked, I'm gonna… hey, look!". Maurice then pointed at the remains of the pot; everyone was then able to see both cards… along with strange white dirt mixed with the normal black dirt. Everyone moved to the site and both guards kneeled.

"It's not my Moon Rock, I swear!" yelled Mr. Montes.

Everyone then looked at him with eyes wide open. Maurice stepped forward with a quizzical look in his eyes. "Salvatore… Sal… how do you know it's Moon Rock?". Sal was now sweating and stuttering. He then tried to run away but was tackled to the ground by the security guards. "Ok, maybe it is mine, but how do explain that the cards were there without me knowing!? I took a polygraph!".

One of the guards then answered him in a perfectly monotonous voice. "Moon Rock is known to cause memory loss on long time users".

Sal blinked a few times. "Oh yeah… forgot that…".

Maurice then stood in front of him with his hands behind his back. "Salvatore Montes, you have violated the trust we at The Night Beetle gave you. But we believe in second chances, so by the powers given to me as head of human resources, you'll be sent to The Pyramid, effective immediately". Without anything more to say, He was taken to the elevators.

In the meantime, Sun had gone to the closet with a different cart. He was thankful that neither Ren nor Blake wanted to scold him and instead hid as soon as the door was open enough for them to get out. Immediately after, they heard Maurice calling for everyone's attention once again.

"I am very sorry for what has happened today. I know everyone is worried about Mr. Taakoizu and now this, but we can't let events like these distract us from doing our best. Hopefully, this will be an isolated incident and something similar will not happen again. Now please, return to your normal duties".

With that final sentence, all the waiters left to the kitchen. Sun was the last one to enter and left his cart conveniently close to the garbage shoot, and while he and the others cleaned the plates Ren and Blake jumped and fell all the way to the dumpster. They climbed out of it as fast as they could, retrieved their normal clothes and ran as far from The Night Beetle as they could.

Once far enough, they entered a public bathroom and changed to their regular attires. Now they knew how Ruby felt that night. Even now they were afraid that one of those faunus had been following them.

Ren then turned around to face Blake. "Where is it?".

Blake took out the scroll. "It only loaded about 78% of all the data".

"It'll have to do. Neptune must be waiting. Let's go".

After what they experienced today. They would demand changes to Thursday's plan.

* * *

That had been the most awkward dinner for Jaune ever since entering Beacon. Even though Yang had been the one to be embarrassed along with him and therefore there was no teasing throughout it, it didn't make it any less comfortable because if KHTE started to spread rumors about them, it would make everything weirder among the teams. Although, to their credit, the boys just sat at their table and ate in silence, minding their own business.

It didn't help that Pyrrha, for some strange reason to him was now very passive-aggressive towards Yang; even after she apologized to her many times, Pyrrha still seemed mad for some reason and wouldn't even talk to him. He knew that look; she was mad at both. But just like his sister's countless times before her, he needed to give her some space and try again when she was had calmed down.

Fortunately, Blake and Ren sent them updates through simple text messages; a few hours late considering they were supposed to report as soon as they got out of The Night Beetle. But it had been Neptune who reported their successful infiltration. They got to decoding the data they gathered from Seido right away, but it was complete silence after that.

Once everyone was present at their usual spots in the library, they noticed Rena and Blake's disappointed faces. They then placed the scroll at the center of the table. Ren then began their report. "We have some of the financial reports, they, however, look normal, and I doubt anyone of you knows how to file taxes and accounting tables to know where to begin with". Everyone at the table then looked at Weiss.

"… I… was going to learn all about that after I graduated…" she confessed with some grade of embarrassment.

Blake then opened another folder and different posters and videos of every kind of celebrity imaginable popped up; even mockups of publicity with Pyrrha's face. "They are not just interested in Pyrrha. Actors, musicians, all sorts of entertainers have been cast by these people". They saw some of them were promoting the Zaphyre along with different gun models and even something by the name of 'The Scarab'.

"What are all those things about?" Asked Jaune.

Ren and Blake sighed and sat down again; Sun then took the stage. "Sadly, this brings us to point three…". He opened the third folder but a warning of 'corrupted data' filled the screen. "They were only able to secure some of the information. Whatever those things were, cannot be retrieved by common means. And despite our best efforts and telling them that they did good, they won't come out of their self-loathing state".

Blake and Ren exchanged glances and then looked at their friends. "We are not like this because of that" Ren said.

"What that Malachite twin said, is more than true. The security team that almost captured us… they were not… normal anymore. They were like living machines, they even had robot-like body parts. If we want to pull the heist at the Dragon Room, we need to be more than precise". After that, they explained in detail what had happened in the server room.


	16. Chapter 16

The doors to The Night Beetle opened and an enthusiastic Maurice popped out to receive Pyrrha with a bow and pointing at the entrance. "Miss Nikos, I am so glad you decided to return. And even though neither lord Onaga nor lord Hotaru are here, rest assured that you and your company will receive nothing but the best of what we have to offer. Can I have your guests' names please?".

Pyrrha, in a more formal attire than her regular gear, then presented Ruby, Ren, and Blake. "They have been here before, and what can I say, the food was so good we just had to get another bite!".

"But of course, please… follow… me…". Maurice stopped talking altogether when he saw Blake enter the hotel. He immediately raised his finger and pointed at her. "YOU!" he yelled. They all stopped dead on their tracks and turned around in panic not knowing how they found out about Blake. Maurice stomped towards her, raised his hand, and grabbed her bow. He then pulled one of the ribbons and freed her cat ears. "There! Much better! Wouldn't you agree, Miss Belladonna?". He took the lead and invited them to continue their way towards the elevator.

They all let out a collective sigh of relief. "I thought of the worst-case scenario, not gonna lie" Ruby commented in a low voice. Truth be told, they all had.

After the elevator ride, they were taken to their last-minute reserved lounge, the Rabbit Room. Contrary to their the Snake Room, this one was more traditionally fancy looking, almost as if they were eating at the table fit for a royal family of old times. The tables and chairs were of organic and curved designs with floral carvings, the room was painted white while the floor had a purple carpet with golden patterns of rabbits jumping. The only other indicator of the animal were decorative pieces on the accompanying tables and two sitting rabbits at the feet of the fireplace. This one felt cozy as opposed to the mysterious ambient of the Snake Room.

Unlike last time, where Hotaru was with them for the entire night, Maurice excused himself and left the room. With no time to lose, Ren and Blake prepared their infiltration kits; Ruby, in the meantime, had something else to discuss with a certain redhead. "So… you asked for Jaune to step aside this night and for me to fill his role… care to elaborate?".

Pyrrha looked at her with a stoic face and then just pretended to look for something in her purse. "As I said last night: If anything goes down, you are a better fighter and we ARE the infiltration team".

Of course, Ruby did not buy that excuse for a second. Every RWBY member knew that she had a huge crush on Jaune; all but Weiss who just refused to believe that someone of Pyrrha's status would fall for a person like Jaune. At least she thought that before finally being convinced once Pyrrha refused to even address both Jaune and Yang, and even though Jaune was her best friend, she had to admit that he was a moron due to his obliviousness to Pyrrha's crush on him.

"Riiiiight…" Ruby said while crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

Pyrrha's poker face was crumbling and finally, she gave up. She let out a sigh, placed her elbows on the table and placed her face on her hands. "I know it was just a distraction, I do. But… just the idea of it, the images in my head, the things people would say if word spread out. All of that had me… I mean, what do I have to do for him to notice?".

Ruby was not too sure of what to do in this situation, so she just stood next to her and patted her back. "There, there. So, you are not angry at Yang anymore?". Pyrrha looked up and nodded while also giving her a small smile. "What about Jaune?". Surprisingly, her smile disappeared, and she then looked away. "Oh boy…" was all she could say, not knowing how to proceed.

"Girl talk for latter, time for action!" Blake said as she and Ren went to retrieve their bathroom cards.

* * *

Sun, being the great inside agent, he saw himself as, took on dessert duty. That meant most of the time he was in the dining room, and that meant he was able to see both Ren and Blake Talking with Mr. Onyx asking for the keycards to be activated. The plan was simple enough, the women's bathroom was the closest to the Rat Room, the furthest to the right from his point of view; the men's bathroom, on the other hand, was next to the Ox Room, furthest on the left; and as soon as their respective doors closed, he moved to the upper floor.

He arrived at the men's bathroom and saw Ren's shoes and the bottom hems of his pants. He then entered the next cubicle and retrieved a packed object from the floor. As soon as he unwrapped it, Mr. Onyx entered the bathroom. "Mr. Wukong, you already had your bathroom break! And you know the employees can't use these bathrooms!".

It took Sun a few moments to come out of the cubicle with both hands up and an apologetic look on his face. Onyx then looked worried at Ren's cubicle. "I am sorry to have bothered you, sir".

"Don't worry about it". Ren's voice said. This calmed Mr. Onyx and he left not worrying about Sun's tail holding a recorder. The man was so worried about Sun making mistakes he also did not notice Ren hiding under the sinks and leaving the bathroom to then hide under the cloth of the dessert cart. The contraptions he used to hold his pants up also seemed to have fooled Onyx, which meant that Blake's had a good chance of working as well.

Sun left the bathroom and moved the cart towards the women's bathroom. He left the cart next to the door and walked back to the Boar Room. He knocked on the door, and a moment later he was greeted by a woman with a silver messy bun hair, thick waterdrop shaped glasses and oversized jewelry over a wine-colored blazer with shoulder pads. "What do you want…!?" she yelled at him with the usual Naknada accent he had grown used to before she looked at him from top to bottom giving him a hideous smile. "Strong and breedable…".

He felt a shudder on his spine and gulped with horror at the thought of what she might be thinking of him right now. He was expecting one of the male Naknada to open the door, but the act had to go on for now. "Um… yeah, so… are the guests ready for dessert?".

She looked confused. "Dessert? But we just began… although… if you want to join…". She was now stretching one of her bony arms and caressing his cheek.

'Please show up! Please show up! Please show up!' Sun begged on his mind.

"MR. WUKONG!" he heard Mr. Onyx scream. That made the woman stop, retract her arm, and look at the direction of where the scream came from.

'Thank you, thank you, thank you' Sun thought while releasing a small sigh of relief.

"Sun! What are you doing here!? We are just preparing their entrances!".

'Ok. Time for some drama to begin'. He looked at the Rabbit Room, and sure enough, Ruby was looking at them. He nodded, giving her the cue to head towards them.

"Excuse me, Mr. Onyx?". She asked while putting on her most innocent face. "Um… my friends may still be in the bathroom but… we are ready to order… could you tell a waiter to come? We are starving!" she said while patting her belly to emphasize the idea.

Overwhelmed, Mr. Onyx took a deep breath. Sorry, Madam Akkitec. I'll make sure no more waiters interrupt your dinner.

"Oh, no worries, darling". She assured before looking at Sun again and licking her teeth. "It was a pleasurable accident," she said before returning to the room.

"Sun, I know you said you are worried about Mr. Taakoizu, but we have to keep everything going as normal. It's what he would have wanted".

Sun let out a sigh and pretended to be sad. "I know sir, I am sorry. It won't happen again".

He then turned towards Ruby with a smile. "Yes, madam. Would it be okay for Mr. Wukong to take your orders?". She then gave him a big smile and nodded. "Good! Go with her Sun," he ordered before walking down the stairs.

Sun and Ruby then headed to the Rabbit room and stopped when she 'accidentally' kicked the cart and made a cinnamon shaker fall from the cart conveniently in front of the Dragon Room. "Oh, I'm so sorry!".

"No don't worry". To anyone who looked up, their attention would go to Ruby and Sun picking up the cinnamon shaker; not to the small sudden opening of the Dragon Room's door and the slow closing of it a moment later.

Ruby and Sun finally retrieved the shaker and continued their way to the Rabbit Room. Once inside the charade was dropped. Sun dropped his body on the chair next to the cupboard at the entrance and sighed loudly. "Did everything go well?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes! And you better not tell anyone about that woman Ruby!". He then shuddered. She just smiled and returned to her seat.

"Anyway, when did you get his keycard, Sun? I didn't even notice".

"Just key, Ruby. Hotaru seems old school. The only door like that in the entire hotel. But to answer your question: Right as you arrived". It was now only a matter of time for Blake and Ren to hopefully retrieve important information from Hotaru's computer. "Well then, girls. What it'll be?".

Pyrrha and Ruby looked at each other with confusion before looking at him again. "What it'll be what?" Pyrrha asked.

Sun then took out a notepad and a pen. "For dinner… I still have to keep this job going, remember?".

* * *

"Can you believe the nerve some people have to treat others like just some piece of eye candy!? Who does that old hag think she is? Treating Sun like something she can grope on her hands and-".

"Blake… are you jealous?". She went silent and just looked at her co-conspirator with a light blush on her cheeks.

"… No! But it's still degrading!" She then crossed her arms and looked away. "… Let's just get this over with".

In their opinion, the Dragon Room was… all they expected. A pure white marble room with a very minimalistic and simple design. A floor-to-ceiling window at the end, a dark wooden desk with the distinctive turquoise felt placed in front of the window and with normal office items on the desk, two bookcases with a small cupboard at the top on either side of the room ordered by color and, what they assumed were, alphabetical order, a set of three-step stairs that lead to a considerable space and then a meeting table for six people over a rug adorned with four dueling serpent dragons. On the left wall was a giant painting of a blue sky with floating pyramids and islands; while on the right wall was a giant TV screen surrounded by what they assumed to be important artifacts for Hotaru. Some beautifully adorned katanas and a wooden baton with metal dragon face on each end, one of which had a tassel of what seemed like pure golden strings, were located under the screen along with medals, plaques and a parchment in some strange language that looked like some sort of important document. Surrounding them, was a variety of objects that seemed to be souvenirs in deteriorated state; a broken green jade mask that looked like a demon's face complete with spikes that looked like one bighorn surrounded by smaller horns, a cracked rustic bottle of liquor, a folded tunic covered in dried blood, an almost burnt fan and… a pair of slightly shattered sunglasses?

With their eye-tour over, they made their way slowly towards the desk, but both teens couldn't contain their doubts. "Is it just me or-" Ren began.

"Does he seem to have a lot of condecorations for him to have been just a normal cop? Yeah, weird…" Blake commented. "He doesn't strike me as the guy who would demand a trophy for anything he does as a victory…".

Whatever their feelings towards him were right now, they didn't matter. They reached his desk and, fortunately, his laptop was left on top. After making sure there were no wires, pressure plates, or anything of that nature, they opened the computer, connected the scroll, and waited for the upload to end. The computer was just on standby, so there should be no problem of it connecting to some sort of network, and that meant no detection and therefore, no violent security.

Ren then grabbed his scroll and wrote to the other girls.

_The cat and the flower are learning._

* * *

"Can you believe her, Nora!? After the meeting with that Malachite girl went without a hitch, she says I'll be safer staying back! And I know she is doing this ONLY because she is mad at me for who knows what!". Jaune ranted while going back and forth his dorm.

Nora, on her part, was trying to focus on reading her book; which she was unable to do by trying to hold back the need to just outright tell him that Pyrrha had a huge crush on him and that the idea of another person taking him away was too painful. But she also knew Pyrrha would feel betrayed if she told him the truth, she would also be a hypocrite because Pyrrha kept her mouth shut about her feelings towards Ren, and more drama was the last thing JNPR needed right now especially when trying to infiltrate Seido. They at least were on some sort of speaking terms, with him wishing her 'good luck' and with her responding it with a 'thank you'. "Give her some time, I'm sure Ruby will help her calm down," she said in a monotonous voice.

"I hope so…". He then fell on his bed and looked at the ceiling 'Can't believe she convinced the others to take me out of today's operation… and she seemed so excited about it…'.

They were taken out of their thoughts when someone knocked on their door. Not expecting anyone yet, Jaune stood up and opened the door to find Weiss. "Where is she?".

"Where's who?" Jaune asked as she pushed him away and went inside.

"Yang, she said she was going to get a snack and hasn't returned". Before Nora and Jaune could even speak a word, she continued. "Over an hour ago".

The room went silent before a thought popped on Jaune's head. "You don't think…?".

"She wouldn't!" quickly replied Weiss. "She promised to stay far away from them".

"And did you define to her what 'far' was!?" Nora said.

They all then left the room without a proper destination. They would define that later. "Where could they be at this hour?" Questioned Weiss.

* * *

The briefing last night had left the ninjas and everyone else perplexed. Raiden was reported as missing by the Elder Gods themselves along with the protector of Orderrealm. Fujin was away in Earthrealm trying to figure what happened and all other warriors had leads of their own as to what was happening in this universe, but whether if it had to do anything with Seido Industries or not, they didn't know yet. After a day of dread, Sub-Zero, Hanzo, Smoke, and Ermac decided to meditate next to the statue at the courtyard. It all went without a hitch for the first five minutes until they heard people circling them expecting another demonstration of their abilities.

And now, Sub-Zero was in what he could describe as an endurance fight against whoever wanted to fight him. His opponent right now was a girl who used a drill combined with a flamethrower which forced Sub-Zero to keep his distance. She charged at him, but he dashed back and left an ice clone in his place. She knew that move, he had already used it with previous opponents; so she decided to step back and charge her flame-thrower with as much power as she could. She was not expecting, however, for Sub-Zero to grab his ice clone and then throw it at her, effectively making her fall and allowing him to kick her weapon away and then freeze it. He then froze her arms and legs on the floor and created an ice sword which he then placed on her neck.

"Give up?".

"… Ok, I yield…". He then destroyed the sword and freed her before helping her get up. "That ice statue of yours looked very similar to you, almost to every detail".

"It took me time to perfect it. It is my favorite one to make".

"Favorite? You can do more?".

Sub-Zero then stepped back and began to show all students present different ice sculptures he could generate almost instantly. A snowman, a polar bear, a penguin, him in various poses and so forth. His team had decided to just sit on the ground and watch his performance.

"Would you believe me if I told you it was the eyebrows on the penguin that took him the longest to learn? He even refused to believe they were a real thing" Smoke said.

Ermac just looked and raised a concern. "Why would he waste time and reveal his secrets to the others?".

Hanzo decided to answer him. "In reality, 'grandmaster' is a fancy term for 'great teacher'. I must admit, I've also found pleasure in forming the next generation of Shirai Ryu… I just hope everything is ok back home". He tried to keep calm, but the nostalgia was more than noticeable.

Smoke patted him on the shoulder and comforted him. "Relax. Don't tell Kuai I said this, but your clan is more than capable to hold their territory against some of our best, even. Besides, Kenshi's kid isn't going to burn the place down" he assured Hanzo before laying on the ground with his hands behind his neck.

The reassurance did help him a little. Ermac then continued his questionnaire. "You rejoined the Lin Kuei without questioning his leadership. You even gave him all the credit for the re-establishment of it. Why?".

"To be honest, I kind of feel I've lived more than what I ever hoped to. I remembered my past, discovered an ancient demon lives inside me, got turned into a robot, became an undead warrior, got remade into an undead human, got resurrected and then defeated an army of cyber-ninjas. I think I am ready to just let life take its course. Besides, I know Kuai better than anyone; he wanted to be grandmaster if only to honor 'him' and all the sacrifices he made". They all knew who 'him' was. His name was still a touchy subject even after all these years and learning the truth that his death was for nothing more than a coverup. Deciding to change the subject, they were now looking at Sub-Zero making miniature ice statues; not noticing the blonde girl hiding on the fountain behind them.

Yang was not taking any chances. She knew that she had to find something on these guys and fast. She had to admit some sort of betrayal once all the other three members voted against her continuous spying schedule; so, she decided to do it by herself. Sure, she promised Weiss to stay far from them; and Eighty feet counted as 'far'. She was filming them with her scroll, waiting for the exact moment they would do something like disappearing when entering a room or the like; or she would be if not for Weiss bothering her every second. She had already blocked her number and only a small tag on the screen told her whenever she was calling. Unfortunately, it was Jaune who called her this time and her scroll rang in all its glory. That surprised her and made her almost drop her scroll. She managed to ignore the call and went back into place. 'Ok, those two are still there. Wait… TWO?'.

"Fancy meeting you here, Yang". A voice said from behind her.

This time Yang did yell and quickly turned around to punch whoever scared her. The person merely stepped back and allowed her to almost fall. She then turned around and saw Hanzo's annoyed face. "If you wanted to see Kuai Liang's performance, may I suggest you join the crowd?".

"Well… I don't want to talk or see him".

Hanzo just crossed his arms before continuing. "Really? Well, you must have wanted to discuss something with one of us for a long time, then. We have been seeing you a lot around us recently".

'Think of something, think of something'. "Maybe I feel some sort of attraction?" she said wanting to sound flirty enough to fluster him. He was not falling for it, though.

"Really? And what does your boyfriend have to say about it?". He asked, sounding more threatening by the moment.

On cue, her scroll rang and Jaune's face appeared on the screen. He then looked at her. "Aren't you going to answer?".

She did answer, but just in audio mode. "Hey, babe! Whatcha doin'?" she asked playfully.

"Yang! Stop playing games. Whatever you are doing with KHTE, stop it. They might get suspicious!".

"Well… I have Hanzo right here".

"YOU WHAT!? WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO HIM!?" he screamed loud enough for everyone close enough to hear, which Hanzo did.

"Well… to talk about… that thing… you know. I sort of told him he was hot… and that you were ok with it…".

"Yang, why-you-but… UGH! Just, get out of there and meet us in the cafeteria now". She hanged up and Yang then turned around to see Hanzo's disgusted face.

"I… respect you and… Jaune's relationship arrangements. But I can tell you right now neither I nor my team would be interested. Have a good day, and leave us!". He said before heading back to his team.

Yang sighed in defeat and left as well, cursing on her way to the cafeteria. 'Now it's gonna be nagging, and nagging because of this. Why did you go alone? What was your plan? What is Pyrrha going to think? Do they think you are a pair of swingers?' she stopped in a hallway when she realized that, once again, she had presented Jaune as her boyfriend. "Better make it official to Jaune then. We are a couple now" she joked as she then kept walking.

* * *

Stealing the information was proving easier than yesterday. The scroll had already copied around 80% and there had been no security breaking the door yet. Blake and Ren were not taking any chances, though. She was standing next to the door at all times while He just stared at the loading bar. This had been going on for a long time with minor message exchanges with Pyrrha and Ruby in between to keep them up to date on developments.

On the other side of the door, Pyrrha was going through the hall back and forth serving as a watchdog, Ruby in the meantime was sitting in the room waiting in case she was needed, and Sun was doing his round of desserts. The plan was proceeding without a hitch, and surely enough, the most expected word of the night was delivered to Ruby and Pyrrha's scrolls.

_Done._

Pyrrha looked at Sun, and when their eyes met, she nodded. Sun was then ready to take the dessert cart upstairs with his excuse lines rehearsed. When he would arrive in front of the Boar Room, Pyrrha would kick the Dragon Room's door; ten seconds later the key would be pushed under the door, Sun would then pick it up, drop Ren in the bathroom, enter the Rabbit Room, return to drop Blake, knock on the Boar Room and return the key to Onyx without ever noticing it was missing, ending the heist successfully.

Sun got to the Boar Room's door and Pyrrha kicked the door. But just as Sun got past the room, its door swung open revealing Madam Akkitec once again. "I recognized those strong steps," said the woman with a horrendous grin Sun could just feel chewing on his neck. "I am ready for 'dessert', Sweets' boy!" she said with what he deduced was her attempt at sounding flirtatious.

Sun was sweating but turned around to face the woman. "Well, Miss Akkitec, I have to go to the Rabbit Room first and then-".

"SUN!" yelled Mr. Onyx from the middle of the stairs. This was not good at all; he was ahead of schedule. The head waiter had arrived and was already scolding him. A few moments later, the key went through the gap between the floor and door; Pyrrha immediately went to pick it up facing the group backward, but as soon as she got on her feet again, she saw the Naknada woman looking at her.

"What are you doing there, girl!?" She yelled at her.

Pyrrha regained her composure and answered. "I… just dropped something… and went to pick it up…".

The woman was angry, having dropped the conversation altogether and even pushing Sun out of her way, walked towards Pyrrha. "I heard clinking!".

Pyrrha maintained her poker face, Sun's tail twitched, and Mr. Onyx just looked perplexed at her. 'How does she know!?' Pyrrha and Sun wondered.

The woman was now in front of Pyrrha. The girl was now able to feel her breathing on her face. "And what did you drop?".

"My… scroll! Of course…". She then took out the device and showed it to everyone.

The woman snarled before slapping the device off her hand. It then fell to the ground making a notorious thud. Mr. Onyx was beyond horrified that one of his guests was physically abused and ran with Sun to her offering apologies on the way. The woman then looked at her with a grin. "I did not hear it fall; little liar!".

Fear was now on both Pyrrha and Sun's faces. Mr. Onyx was close to having a heart attack. "Excuse me…?" was all Pyrrha asked acting as if she was beyond insulted.

Madam Akkitec then placed her bony hand on the doorknob and proceeded to turn it. Fortunately for Pyrrha and Sun, the door did not open. Blake and Ren seemed to have picked up on what was happening. Mr. Onyx sighed in relief before addressing Pyrrha again. "I'm so sorry, Miss Nikos. We have been a little paranoid ever since-" he was interrupted when the door was slammed continuously by the woman.

"What are you planning, worm!?" She snarled at Pyrrha before looking at Mr. Onyx. "You! Open it! NOW!" She ordered.

"Madam, no one is allowed in that room without-".

"EVERY MEMBER OF THE BOARD FILLS THE PLACE OF ACTING CEO UNTIL A NEW ONE IS APPOINTED OR THE PREVIOUS ONE RETURNS! NOW DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!". She screamed at him while grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.

The altercation had made the other members of the Naknada clan leave their lounge and look at what was happening. To make matters worse, they seemed just as angry as the woman when they noticed the group standing in front of the Dragon Room. Knowing better than to keep on annoying his bosses for the moment, Mr. Onyx conceded. "Yes, madam. Just let me…". He looked in his right pocket but then went still. He quickly looked on his other pocket, but it was empty as well. "This is weird… I can't find my key…".

The woman then looked at Pyrrha again. "Convenient…" she said with her horrible teeth in full display. She then moved forward and went to snatch Pyrrha's purse. Both women struggled over possession of the bag, but neither Mr. Onyx nor Sun trying to stop them; Mr. Onyx for fear of losing his job, and Sun because of being accused of collaborating. The altercation continued with both Pyrrha and the woman exchanging pushes, revealing the Naknada's dragon medallion. The conflict evolved to a point when now each one was holding the purse by the rope. It seemed like it would break, and all the contents would fall.

"STOP EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING!" a familiar voice screamed from the elevator loud enough to be heard by everyone on both floors of the dining room. "I HAVE THE MOST WONDERFUL OF NEWS!". Everyone then turned their heads towards Maurice who sprinted towards the crowd in front of the Dragon Room and started to hug, kiss, shake hands and dance with whomever he encountered next. "It's wonderful, it's amazing, it's making me so happy, I could just siiiiiiiiiing-!".

He was, however, pulled back to reality when Mr. Onyx interrupted him. "Mauri-! Ehem. Mr. Feta: what is so important you had to enter in such a manner?".

Maurice just looked at him with a blank stare. After a few blinks, he then reacted. "Oh! Yes, of course". He regained his full composure and addressed all people, guests, and staff alike. "Everyone present, we at The Night Beetle, Seido Industries, and all associated businesses, want to bring you wonderful news: Mr. Hotaru Taakoizu has been found alive!". He proclaimed as everyone present began to applaud. Maurice waited for the room to go quiet before speaking again. "I'm afraid I have to take all staff members away for a moment, we must now all report to our superior. But as a cordiality, everything tonight is on the house!". The room once again was filled with thunderous applause as Maurice signaled all the Naknada clan to leave the area and to head towards the elevator.

Madam Akkitec, however, was not done yet. She Snatched Pyrrha's purse and tore it open before dropping all her belongings on the floor. Unfortunately for her, there was no key. She turned her head towards Pyrrha, looking at her with pure hatred. "WHERE DID YOU PUT IT!? I AM NOT LEAVING UNTIL-!",

"Found it! Back pocket… must have confused it with the key to my apartment". Mr. Onyx said as he went to open the door. He was doing it normally until the woman pushed him out of the way and slammed it open.

She looked around and found nothing. She then looked at the open laptop and made her way to the desk. Once next to it she looked at the leg space under it and found nothing. Defeated and angry, she was then distracted by Mr. Onyx who yelled at her from the door. "Madam! Would you please stop this and just head to the meeting with all the other employees?". She snarled once again before heading to the door and slamming it shut.

"Madam, I think you already know that Miss Nikos is a very important client to Mr. Taakoizu and what you just did could bring dire consequences". He then turned around and smiled at Pyrrha "We are so sorry, Miss Nikos, right Madam?" The woman gave her an annoyed look.

Pyrrha then regained her composure and played the role of the offended guest. "I demand an apology from her this instant!" she said while stomping the ground to emphasize her anger.

The woman growled at first, but then took a deep breath and bowed before giving her the apology. "I am sorry for accusing you of stealing the key, Miss Nikos".

"Apology accepted. And be sure that Mr. Taakoizu will know about this!".

"Yes, of course… Sun, help Miss Nikos pick up her things, and The Night Beetle will fully reimburse your purse with one of your choosing miss".

Both Mr. Onyx and Madam Akkitec then left. Once they were far enough, Pyrrha and Sun were free to talk. "Thank goodness for Maurice's distraction. You almost dropped it though!".

"Look, I'm sorry. I was not expecting you to punch me in the chest and just drop it. I'm just thankful everyone was looking at his dance; even that bitchy hag". He then shuddered before speaking again. "With any more luck, she might hate me enough now and will not want to look at me again".

Once they picked up everything, Sun left and Pyrrha made sure no other guest downstairs was looking up. She gave soft knocks on the door and whispered: "Blake, Ren if you can hear me, it's safe to go out now". The door unlocked and was opened by Ren just a few centimeters; enough for one of his and Blake's eyes to look at Pyrrha.

"Are they gone?" Blake whispered.

"Yes. I thought you would surely get caught. Where did you hide?". They then stepped back and pointed at the top cupboards of the bookshelves.

"Surprisingly, not the most uncomfortable place I've ever had to hide in". Blake remarked.

Without anything else to talk about, Blake and Ren then locked the door again and made their way towards their respective bathrooms. Pyrrha then rested her elbows on the rail and sighed in relief. A few moments later, Ruby emerged from the Rabbit Room. "Hey, Pyrrha, what does Blake mean by 'Is the ugly bitch-witch gone'?".


	17. Chapter 17

**_Short chapter. Couldn't make it fit with either the last or the next chapter but it is establishing stuff._**

* * *

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

* * *

_(A title card shows the letters 'VNN')_

_Life, from Our news center in Vale: It's VNN – Breaking report._

_(Lisa Lavender appears behind her desk)_

_The business world is shaken once again but for good this time. CEO of Seido Industries, Hotaru Taakoizu, who you may remember was kidnapped earlier this week, was able to escape his captors with the help of a defector._

_(Images of Higanbana appear on screen)_

_Both men arrived at Higanbana, a rural town in the kingdom of Mistral. The businessman was safe, but police inform his right arm was broken, his clothes turned to rags, and did not have any footwear. Although it has not been confirmed, experts say this indicates that Taakoizu might have been a victim of torture and abuse from his captors._

_(Lisa appears on screen once again. On a small screen at her right, a profile picture of Shay with his face blurred can be seen)_

_Both Taakoizu and his rescuer, a former member of the organization who kidnapped him, asked that his identity remained anonymous for security reasons. Mr. Taaikozu was then picked up by members of his company's security and taken to Atlas, where he was expected to attend a meeting in the coming weeks and is now expected to receive medical attention._

_Although there are no known reasons why the kidnapping occurred, many think it has to do with the SSS project. We at VNN express our relief that a member of society was able to recover his freedom and will also use this opportunity to condemn this horrible act which we will classify as terrorism. For VNN, this is Lisa Lavender._

_(The screen turns off)_

Kollector held the remote control of the giant television screen in the exclusive two stories penthouse room property of Seido Industries. On the giant dark blue couch sat Shay, with his hair dyed black and short, military-style. Kollector, in his disguise, stood behind him while Hotaru was in front, facing him backward with his left hand behind his back and the right being held by a cast and arm holder. He then turned his head only half the way to look at Shay through his peripheral vision. "Again, what is your story?".

"I was born in a small town next to Vacuo Academy where my parents had a small dust shop. I want to make a name for myself, so I've come to Atlas looking for a job at a local store where I can grow".

"And what will happen after you are offered a job in one of our new stores?".

"I'll be hired as an assistant and I'll work until I can become a manager of my store".

"Where do you live?".

"In a rented room next to Mantle University. My parents will pay the rent until I have saved enough paychecks".

"Who should anyone call in case of emergency?".

"Relatives and friends are on speed dial. Mom, dad, aunt Pal, uncle Mort, Tanny my ex-girlfriend and Dozer my best friend from Vacuo". Hotaru did not follow with more questions. He just kept looking at Shay. "I was homeschooled and learned from the business because of my father. I will, however, take a long-distance course on management".

Hotaru looked at the screen once again. "Good. Hope we never meet again" he said before heading to the door and opening it for Shay to leave. "And remember: You do not want us to meet again. Can't say it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Urrin Possom" he said as Shay left. Once out of their sight, Hotaru closed the door. "Anything I should know about councilman Grey?".

"The most controversial figure in the current council. Was the only one who voted against General Ironwood getting a second seat, but mostly to save the job of his friend, ex-councilwoman Turner. He is an Atlas academy dropout who managed his family's company until it went into 'involuntary' bankruptcy. Won his election last time because of the support local celebrities gave to his campaign".

Hotaru sighed in disappointment. Here he was, playing the same tricks as corrupt politicians. But the ends justify the means. So, the charade had to go forward. "The meeting will take place tomorrow night?".

"Yes. The antenna's frequency has been calibrated".

"Good. Prepare the camera, it is time to say hello to our loyal employees".

* * *

Time to cool out. Definitely, the best medicine for any angry person. Although no meeting took place when the infiltration team returned, Pyrrha seemed more levelheaded and spoke to Jaune and Yang in good terms. Everything was going great for team JNPR. They even decided to take a few more minutes to sleep before getting on their uniforms. "Ok team. The sun is bright, we are fine and rested and ready to take on the world! Now: breakfast!".

On their way there, the team noticed how some of the male students were looking at Jaune with total confusion. One person even yelled "No way!" after looking at his scroll and then at Jaune.

Nora just placed her hands on her hips. "Wonder what that was about," she said before everyone walked again.

Once in line at the cafeteria, more people began to talk behind their backs. 'What does she see in him?', 'I bet she just wants to toy with him', 'I wouldn't mind being toyed with…' were some of the comments they heard; but as strange as those were, arriving at their usual spot revealed an even stranger sight: Yang hiding her head under one of Ruby's capes while the younger girl had hers' in a short ponytail. It was also obvious that Ruby, Blake, and Weiss were angry at Yang; the last being worried and not being spoken to.

Nora was getting tired of being out of the loop, so she confronted the other team. "Alright, hands down. What is going on? This has to do with whatever everyone is talking about, right?".

Yang didn't answer, but instead got next to Pyrrha and placed an arm over her shoulder. "Pyrrha! My girl, my friend! P-money, the 'Invincible Girl'! What do you say we ditch classes and go somewhere fun; I'll let you drive Bumblebee!".

If there was any doubt before, now it was confirmed. Yang had messed up big time. Knowing she would just avoid answering questions, Nora turned to the rest of team RWBY. "What did she do?".

No sooner than that, a group of female students approached Yang, looked at Jaune from top to bottom, and then their leader, most likely, spoke to her. "Seriously Xiao Long, you are settling with him?".

"Yeah, I mean… you can do way better… but he seems to have his charms…" a second student said.

"More than one, that's for sure… I can see why she'd dig him. He is not as boastful as the other boys at least" said a third.

"He seems quite the catch, to be honest!" A fourth one said with a smile.

"Yeah, now I'm jealous of you Xiao Long".

"Nice one girl!".

"I am happy for you both".

"If it doesn't work between you two, call me Jauney!" The fourth girl said while giving him a wink.

As the girls left, Blake saw Pyrrha keeping her face completely calm and she even had a little smile. "Have to admit, you took it very well" Blake complemented. Pyrrha then let go of her fork and she could now see the metal utensil crushed and bent beyond repair.

"Took what well?" Pyrrha said.

Soon after the girls left, and everyone was trying to enjoy breakfast, a second-year male student arrived and grabbed Jaune by his shoulder forcing him to stand up. "Confess Arc, what did you do to her!?" the guy yelled now holding Jaune by the front of his shirt.

Puzzled, Jaune stared at the guy with eyes wide open. "What are you talking about?".

"Don't play the fool, I always knew you were a sicko. There is no way a loser like you could have a chance with her! It's blackmail, isn't it!? A brainwashing semblance!? Answer me!?".

"Seriously!? Are you listening to yourself!? Porn isn't real. And by the way: WHO ARE YOU!?".

Yang then stood up and forced the guy to face her while still holding Jaune. "Ok, that does it! I'm only saying this once: He. Is. Not…". She then saw team KHTE looking at her with amusement, just like every other student was. All but Hanzo, who was frowning while looking directly at her. "… guilty of anything. I just really liked him after he confessed to me…". She then grabbed his hand once again. Some of the students awed at her display, but the boy was just livid right now. He raised his fist to punch Jaune, put Pyrrha caught it, twisted it, and then slammed his face on the food on the table.

"They are together. Get over your jealousy". His bravado immediately dissipated; he just whimpered and nodded. Pyrrha released him and he ran as fast as he could.

"Wow. Thanks, Pyrr; thought I… Where are you going?". As soon as she had let the guy go, Pyrrha just took what was left of her tray and began to walk away.

"I lost my appetite. See you all in class".

The other seven students went quiet while they saw her leave. Sun and Neptune passed her on their way to the table, but she ignored their greetings and just walked away faster. Yang only rested her head on one of her hands and sighed. "Great job, Yang. Good job…" she told herself.

* * *

"Why do you care so much about them anyway, Nep?". Sun asked his partner as they were enjoying Sun's free day after his service last night. They were just hanging in the courtyard; Sun hanging from a branch thanks to his tail and Neptune laying against the tree.

"Come on, really? Don't you just want to tell him 'She is totally into you! Go get her!'".

Sun gave him a condescending look and crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh really? So, YOU, of all people, are a matchmaker now?".

"Look, I'm not saying they should confess to each other and get married tomorrow! But she can't be more obvious!".

Sun had to give Neptune that one. He may not approve of the blue-headed Casanova's attitude, but he had a point.

"Besides, I get enough from you being jealous of Ren all the time".

This announcement took Sun by surprise. So much so that he let go of the branch and fell on his head. Disregarding what just happened, he quickly got up and confronted his friend. "I'm not jealous! Why would I be jealous!?".

"Really? You squeezed yourself between them during breakfast. You kept trying to challenge him to an arm-wrestling contest and then wanted to do a yoga fight. You seriously didn't know you don't fight in yoga!?".

"Ok, maybe I am a bit jealous. But I just don't want to spook Blake away by being too frontal; I want to take things slow and this job is keeping me out of everyone's reach for the whole day!".

"Yeah… at least we were able to see them during the day. Hopefully, it'll all be over soon".

"Are you saying that because you want us to return to doing nothing before the Vytal festival while also sending the biggest crime syndicate in the world to jail, or because it's starting to eat everyone else's lives".

"A little bit of A, and a little bit of B, to be honest…".

Their conversation, however, was cut short as a male student crashed through a window on the second floor and landed face first in front of Sun and Neptune. "I'm ok!" the boy yelled. Sun and Neptune looked up at Ermac who had his head going through the broken window.

"For the last time, Jerrod: Control where you are sending your opponent!" They were able to hear the echoed voice of Miss Goodwitch.

"Sorry!" The strange new kid yelled back before he picked the other student with his semblance and brought him back to the classroom.

"At first, I could not believe they were part of some sort of conspiracy. Now? I don't know how we could have been so dense…". Remarked Neptune before they left.

* * *

"Play that one again!" Elsa told Cardin. Both were sitting on her small couch drinking some light beer and enjoying videos of Jaune's failures throughout the day. Her apartment was small but had all the necessities. A tiny fridge in an open kitchen, a couch with a TV screen mounted on the wall, a small circular dining room table, and a microwave; whatever was in her room, he did not know. "So, you are telling me that the redhead basically tortured him all day and he still doesn't get the what is wrong?".

"If only you knew. He is just that incompetent! Can't believe she is acting like this and he still has no clue!".

Friday was a living hell for Jaune. While Pyrrha was trying her best to smile and be cooperative with Ren, Nora, Ruby, Blake, and Weiss; she wanted to avoid Yang and Jaune just as much. Yang got the message, but Jaune just kept pushing her.

_'Just tell me, why are you so mad!?'_

A recording of Jaune asked while he and Pyrrha were walking through a corridor. She just used her semblance to attract a trashcan and made him fall into it. "Oh, I wish I had recorded the first period. He had an 'apology cupcake', but when she asked him 'for what?' he ACTUALLY answered, 'I'm not sure'. And BAM! Right in the face!".

"He seriously is not aware she has a crush on him?".

"He. Is. Oblivious! I don't know why Xiao Long says he is her boyfriend, but man. They'll be on each other's throats soon!" he said before drinking more of his beer. Their original plan was to hit an arcade that evening and catch a movie, but as soon as Cardin arrived ahead of schedule and connected his scroll to her TV screen, it was all worth it.

"Why are you so sure they are faking it?".

"Xiao Long is as loud as they come. If she had someone, people would not have found out because of a spread-out rumor. She would have been the one to announce it to the entire school. I don't know why they did it; but honestly, I don't care. Seeing that red smartass mad is reward enough".

They were now watching Jaune catching fire on weapon maintenance. While everyone went to look for an extinguisher, Pyrrha just threw him the content of a bucket of water, once the fire was out, and before he could say anything, she then made the bucket fall on his head. After another round of laughter, Cardin was done with his third beer. Elsa then asked him a question that just occurred to her: "He is not aware of her feelings, right?".

"Yep".

"Then what does he believe she is mad for?".

"I don't know… maybe he'll think she is mad because he lied again?".

"What? Is he like a compulsive liar?".

"Nah, Nah… is because of his…". He stopped just in time and went on to cover his mouth. But it was too late, Elsa now knew Carding was keeping a big ugly secret on Jaune.

"…You know I will not stop bothering you about it now, right?".

"I… I can't… I made a promise…".

"And since when do you feel the need to repay him anything?". He didn't say anything. Cardin just looked away and started to scratch his head. "Oh, come on, it's just the two of us. What can a part-timer designer do?".

"Look, all I can say is that, as far as I know, only Jaune, Pyrrha, and I know of it. If something came out, she would seek and destroy me. He saved my life from an Ursa, and I promised not to tell his secret to anyone".

Surprisingly, Elsa dropped the subject. "Ok then". They finished their marathon of videos with fewer laughs than before, but the night was still young. "Hey, Cardin. Why return to Beacon!? You can crash on my sofa, no big deal. I'll order a pizza and we can watch a movie".

"Great. But we'll need more beer though…".

"Beer? Are you a pussy? We are going all the way!". She proclaimed as she then pulled out bottles of all kinds of alcohol. "And remember-".

"Tell no one an adult gave me liquor. I know".


	18. Chapter 18

Atlas' Diamond Country Club was as exclusive as the name suggested. A marble palace with every commodity available including a giant ballroom which, right now, served as the place where councilman Grey would announce his re-election bid. Men and women of the highest levels of society in both Mantle and Atlas were chatting while drinking expensive beverages and waiters made their way around while carrying large plates filled with expensive appetizers. Kollector was among the masses wanting to exchange objects with the guests. A set of earrings, a watch, a wallet for whatever he had brought from his bag. Hotaru, in the meanwhile, looked from the second floor at a window facing the edge of Atlas and into the pitch-black night sky. 'Nostalgia' would be the word that best described his emotions right now. An impeccable white marble-like floating city protected by a strong military force hit so close to home. Atlas had at one point been considered the center of operations for Seido Industries, but Onaga, Hotaru, and all their allies knew that would be a distraction in the long run.

There were many differences, of course. Atlas was just a flying city opposed to the floating continents of Orderrealm. Furthermore, the city was an artificial construction, although there were floating pieces of land at the border with Mistral thanks to black dust crystals. Orderralm's protectorate, Lei-Chen, was also a small pearl in the putrid landscape of Outworld while Mantle, a stable city nonetheless, paled by a lot in comparison and was just a city lost in the snow-covered wasteland of Solitas. The final difference?

"Well, well, well… look what not even the BANDITS wanted around them" a drunk, deep voice almost yelled behind him. And that, too, was the final difference between both places: Crony businessmen who thought they had the right to run the world as they pleased. It was a good thing they were finally gone after Onaga took over.

Hotaru ignored the insult, knowing that this new arrival would be further driven to madness if he ignored his provocations. "Jacques? Jacques Schnee of the Schnee Dust Company? My… I don't think we have ever been publicly introduced. And you are already talking to me as if we were old peers, I'm flattered" he answered while bowing and then presented his left hand intending to shake the other man's. Jacques just slapped it away.

"We are not friends, you mud-feeder. You are trying to ruin my reputation!".

"An impossible task, it seems…" Hotaru responded sarcastically.

Before Jacques could rant again, a young man with green combed-back hair and thick-framed glasses wearing a white tuxedo placed a hand over his shoulder. "Mr. Schnee, I would advise you to refrain from talking with him; security tells me no one heard your exchange so we should be fine. Also, please, stop drinking for the night".

"Unhand me, rat! Tell the board I'll do whatever I want, it's still my company!" Jacques then pulled out a fancy flask and took a long drink. "Now go and suck on someone else, I'm busy".

"Never figured you as a heavy drinker, Mr. Schnee" commented Hotaru.

"It's because of you! I have to give it to my wife, though… the only useful advice that drunk pain in my rear has given me in decades!".

Jacques' poor assistant was panicking making sure no one heard what his boss was saying, but Hotaru had to admit this was turning very entertaining. While greedy, cold, and manipulative, Jacques did not play any dirty tricks to make himself richer as far as Hotaru knew; but he knew Jacques' kind, soon he would be brought to a breaking point and Seido Industries would be able to swipe the SDC from the map. "Speaking of her, where is your wife? I would love to meet her".

Jacques gave a dry chuckle. "The old wench hasn't left the mansion in ages… But…" he then turned his head in every direction before looking at his assistant again. "Hey, service boy! Where did my son go? He was with us when we arrived".

The young man looked at their bodyguards confused before answering him. "Mr. Schnee… we arrived here over three hours ago…".

"What!? Bah! Whatever, not like any of these meat bags is into little boys anyway… it was always easier when Winter and Weiss were around, parade them, distract the idiots and pick them dry… those were the days…".

That sentence did manage to make a few heads turn. "It's an inside joke, people! No need to bother you with context, haha…" the assistant said making damage control. Those guests decided to then walk away.

"That boy… he may be smart, but he is as useless as they come. I don't even need him; Weiss was my back-up, his chances to get the company are slim, why did we bother!?".

Hotaru was not surprised by the honesty in Jacques' words. He had seen what alcohol did to people who had not developed a tolerance, in intoxicating quantities, it loosened the tongue. His 'conversation' with Jacques, however, was cut short when he saw a new arrival. The only other person in Remnant who he would consider an equal and even someone to learn from. "General Ironwood!".

The headmaster of Atlas Academy, commanding officer of Atlas' army and councilman looked with surprise as Hotaru almost trotted in his direction. When the general went for a handshake, he was surprised by Hotaru's bow.

"It is such an honor to meet you. I've followed your career and it has been nothing but an inspiration. Your colonel-accession thesis on rogue paramilitary elimination was incredibly inspiring".

Not used to have that kind of attention for his military actions, Ironwood just awkwardly thanked the businessman. "Thank you… Mr. Taakoizu… I was not aware military literature was of your interest".

"Well, being a police officer and all".

"Yeah, that is true".

"I must also admit that the 'Special Operatives Unit' is a remarkable project that surprises me how it has not been adopted by the other kingdoms".

"Really? Well, you would be the first person from outside Atlas that has said that".

"Oh, indeed; although, if I may speak freely, wouldn't it be more beneficial to fully integrate both military and huntsmen academies into a single unit capable of battling both civil and grim threats under one command? Of course, the idea of allegiance to a kingdom is only logical and would help reduce the number of huntsmen who turn into mercenaries".

"I… sorry, what?" To be honest, James was more surprised by the fact that what who knew was just 'a common police officer' was so knowledgeable on military philosophy and organization.

Their conversation, however, was cut short by the arrival of another person. "General Ironwood, sir. The situation in Mantle has been taken care of". A pale woman with white hair tied in a bun except for a bang of hair falling over the right side of her face and wearing a white and blue military uniform informed the general while arriving at his right.

"Winter, excellent news. Mr. Taakoizu, meet specialist Winter Schnee; my most trusted operative. Winter, this is-".

"Hotaru Taakoizu, CEO of Seido Industries, former law enforcer of the now-disbanded Mistral Guard initiative and former Administrator of the now destroyed Damashi settlement. Pleasure" she said coldly while squeezing his hand.

"Quite the grip Miss Schnee".

"specialist, for you".

James was surprised by Winter's interaction. Never had he seen her act with such hostility. "Winter-".

"No, it's alright general. I guess that she is not happy by the fact that her once-proud family legacy will soon be a thing of the past. Trust me, she is not the first Schnee to express their discontent". Hotaru said before stepping aside and allowing them to see Jacques and his group.

Both bodyguards and Jacques' helper went stiff when they saw Winter and Ironwood. Jacques noticed their reaction and turned around to face them. And as soon as both he and Winter made eye contact, the tension in the atmosphere turned incredibly dense. The look of disgust in both their eyes was more than obvious. Jacques then began to walk towards them, taking a sip of his flask on the way there.

Once they were face to face, no one dared say anything. After a long pause, Jacques began the conversation. "James… Winter".

"Jacques" Ironwood said, reciprocating the cordiality.

"Mr. Schnee".

Silence fell over them once again. Hotaru simply contemplated in amazement at the amount of hate that a father could have for a daughter and vice versa.

"I see you now face failures by drowning yourself in alcohol," Winter told him.

"A trick I picked from your dear mother who, by the way, is still alive. I mean, you should know with all the long and deep conversations I'm sure you have".

Winter's face turned into a mixture of guilt and anger; whatever Jacques lacked in combat, he more than compensated with manipulation. And from her reaction, Hotaru was also able to see that her anger was directed only at her father. Before she could answer him back, however, her scroll rang. She gave her father one last look before turning around and answering her device. "Specialist Schnee spea-… YOU AGAIN!? How did you get ahold of my contact!? I explicitly said… No, you can't interrupt the general! I don't care how important… We are in the middle of something!? Uuuuugh." She then turned around once again to face Ironwood "Sorry general, It's Blade again. She insists on pursuing this 'black market' theory of hers". With that, she walked away.

General Ironwood also excused himself and followed Winter, leaving Jacques and his group alone with Hotaru again who then turned and decided to play with Jacques some more. "I'd say she has your temper. You must be so proud".

He merely scoffed at his taunt and then grabbed a cup of wine which he mixed with whatever was in his flask. "Ungrateful brat, that's what she is. She runs around playing the role of Ironwood's dog, not caring about the business until it is now on the brink of collapse! But don't think for a moment that I will let you drive me out of Atlas! Know that I will fight tooth and nail to-".

"There he is! The escape master, the man himself! Hotaru Taakoizu!" a cheerful man in his mid-thirties with slick dark-grey hair, red eyes, and a short goatee proclaimed while approaching the group. He was wearing a top of the line suit and tie with a black shirt, black leather gloves, and leather shoes. He was also carrying two cups of what seemed to be brandy. "Care to celebrate with a toast, my friend?" he said as he offered the liquor to Hotaru.

"Sorry… doctors say I must not consume alcohol until I'm out of my pain killers". Hotaru said as he slowly pushed the cup away.

The man looked puzzled at first, but he just returned to his cheerful self. "Well, we don't need these to have a good time". He then quickly turned around and shoved the beverages on to Jacques. "Would you hold these for us, Jacqui!? Thanks, man. You rule". He faced Hotaru once again and continued their conversation. "Oh, where are my manners. Councilman Roy Grey, 'The Man of Future'. Or so my campaign says". He said while extending his hand.

Hotaru stared at the hand with disgust; nonetheless, he shook it. "Hotaru Taakoizu. CEO of Seido Industries".

Grey then wrapped his arm around Hotaru's neck and lead him to the stairs. "Oh, believe me, my friend; I know who you are. We all do! The crusader of justice, the brains behind Seido Industries; the brand of the future meets the man of the future! Wow, can you believe I just came up with that just now? Advertising is going to have a blast with that one!".

As soon as they arrived on the first floor, Hotaru stopped walking. "'A blast' with what, exactly?".

"Well making the advertisements of your support, of course!".

"Support?".

"Yeah! Worked wonders last time. All those athletes, and singers, they railed up the voters. And now? The brave and noble fighter of the people comes to help the young and brave leading voice of Atlas to change the world!" Grey said while moving his arms around for emphasis.

Hotaru did not buy a word of his act. He instead decided to question Grey. "And why wouldn't your allies return to help you?".

Grey's confident smile disappeared and was replaced with one of nervousness. "They are a thing of the past, my man… besides, after paying them I might be short of a few one, two, three… million lien. But come on! With you backing me up, we'll beat Sleet by double digits! Old geezer won't know what even hit him".

Finally, the intention was out in the open. "So, you want me to make Seido finance your re-election bid mostly to pay for the money you didn't own in the first place?".

"Oh, don't be like that…" He then pulled Hotaru towards the bar and sat at the end where they wouldn't be bothered. "I am not asking you for a blank check. I could help Seido gain some ground here in Atlas, I know some contracts are coming in and I would personally help with a head start if you know what I mean".

A lot of things angered Hotaru in this world. Having to work with criminals, play judge for rival gang wars, but the mere insinuation of committing such a blatant act of corruption had him almost take one of the crystal glasses, break it and then slit Grey's throat wide open. But he had to follow the plan. "Oh, councilman, I am way ahead of you. We have already studied the paperwork to contest the biddings, we are just waiting for the process to start. Of course, if you know of any legislation currently being discussed or changed by the council that is sure to pass and affect public and private investment and cooperation, I would be most delighted to read it personally and adjust any changes to our proposal. As for financing your campaign, it is not up to me to make that kind of moves, I only follow lord Onaga's orders, and he insists that our company must be as far from politics as possible. We play no sides".

Grey stared at him dumbfounded for a long time before bursting out in laughter. "Oh, you are too much, you are too much. Ehem, but sure 'you don't play sides'. Anyway, I can speak to the big O himself, no problem. Just let me go get my scroll. Enjoy the party, make friends, see ya soon, bud!".

As Grey went away, Hotaru checked his watch. The meeting would take place in half an hour, so he had to find Kollector soon along with an empty room where they would not be disturbed. 'Most guests should be here meaning that the rest of the club should be empty. I just need to-'.

"Well, well, well. Looks like Roy got himself a new pet project" a female voice said from a table not far away. Hotaru turned around to face a woman with almost his exact haircut but pale blonde wearing a black and grey coat, brown high neck shirt and red vest. She stood up from her seat and was immediately followed by three other women, one of which was a sheep faunus.

"Excuse me?" Hotaru said, with a hint of insulted feeling. He looked at all the women in detail before addressing who he saw as their leader. "I don't believe we have met before. Hotaru Taako-".

The tallest woman in the group then interrupted him. "CEO of Seido Bla-Bla-Bla, we know, and we want you to take your trash somewhere else".

This time, Hotaru didn't say anything. He just looked at them expecting an explanation from that comment.

"Joanna, stand down! I'm Robyn Hill, this one here is Joanna, May, and Fiona. We are the Happy Huntresses" Robyn said while pointing at the tall girl, then the blue-haired one and finally the faunus. She then stepped forward and closer to the businessman. "And we are here because we want your kind out of Atlas and Mantle".

"My kind?".

May then stepped forward to confront him. "Rich and spoiled oversized brats who think they can just buy the world".

"Well I can assure you I have nothing to do with councilman Grey, and neither do I wish to have something. So have a good evening, ladies". He was already walking away but Fiona blocked his path. Before he could order her to move, however, Robyn continued.

"I know you have some sort of deal with the underworld," Robyn said with an air of confidence.

Hotaru was panicking in his mind. It made no sense that she could know about the Atlas underworld. If anything, the crime groups of Atlas were the most discrete. "Really?" he asked as neutral as he could.

"No company can grow as yours did in such a short time. You had help from somewhere".

This calmed Hotaru. She was just speculating. "I assume you have proof to back that allegation, then?". All women went quiet. "And I'm sure the media, police, even the army would love to know about this theory of yours. Why, aren't YOU a huntress? I assume the good general, your former headmaster, would be able to stop me in a heartbeat. Why even Jacques Schnee would even pay for the best lawyers to see me rot for the 'crimes' you accuse me of" he remarked sarcastically; and as much as all the Happy Huntresses were looking at him with anger, he was right. Hotaru decided to then drop the mockery and spoke directly to Robyn. "Madam, I happen to be a… former officer. Believe me, I know more about respecting the law than you do, so take your empty threats somewhere else".

They all remained still until a voice interrupted them. "Lord Hotaru, we must go!" the Happy Huntresses then looked at the hideous man before turning around and looking at Hotaru with skepticism. "Our call with lord Onaga approaches".

After another moment of silence, Hotaru pushed Fiona out of his way and joined Kollector. "Indeed, let's go somewhere more private".

They walked away from the group of women; but as soon as they left, Joanna began to talk to the others. "Uuuuh, big scary fat-cat was a cop! Pshhh… bet daddy got him through the academy without having to lift a finger".

"Wasn't he and Administrator, though?" commented May.

"Yeah, bet mommy had to do a few extra favors to land him THAT job if you know what I mean".

Unknown to the Happy Huntresses, however, was that both Hotaru and Kollector could still hear them. And while he had grown immune to insults regarding his law-abiding fanatism, strict nature, and even his name; he would never allow anyone to deny his accomplishments and much less the sacred names of his parents. And as soon as the mention of his parents was brought, the memories of his childhood flashed on his eyes at the same time.

* * *

"I don't want to cut my hair anymore…" a young eleven-year-old Hotaru said while resting his arms and chin on the table.

"You know the rules of the school, young man. Only candidates for the Guardsmen Academy get a chance to let it grow; otherwise, it's a clear neck, clear forehead, and short sideburns" his mother, a chubby woman with shoulder-length black hair answered him.

"Well… what if I want to join the Seidan Guard".

His mother went still and turned around to see if her son was pulling a prank on her. She was surprised however to see the determination on his eyes. "All of this only to be able to have your hair longer?".

"No! I want to be a hero, like dad was!" He excitedly then pointed at the tapestry of his father's graduation group along with his ceremonial helmet and Naginata.

Hotaru's life with his parents was not an exciting one. His father was a former guardsman who had to resign due to a shoulder injury he got by preventing the kidnapping and execution of all the governors of Orderrealm. Once out of the Guard, he decided to use his retirement funds to buy a small fruit farm in the agricultural continent of Orderrealm. There he met a passionate craftswoman to whom he married and had a healthy boy. Their life was simple but fulfilling; they did not hold riches but lived by a strict routine so food and a roof to live under were never a problem. Other members of the community, however…

A loud crashing sound took both mother and son by surprise. They went to see the source and found one of their decorative flowerpots broken by a stone. They then saw a group of four teenagers picking up more rocks to throw.

"Get out of here, dung-beetles!".

"This is Resistance land!".

"Hang the bugs!".

They kept throwing rocks at them until a lava projectile startled them. They turned to their heads to look at a mostly bald man in white robes and a long-braided ponytail carrying a bag of apples. "You are trespassing and harassing my family. Leave now before your parents know you are doing this again; this is your third and final warning".

The boys just looked at him in a threatening way; but once they saw it was useless, they left. Life for the family of three was peaceful sometime after Hotaru was born. But with time, the Resistance gained sympathizers on their region to the point they implemented parallel norms to the inhabitants. They were extorted to give a quota of rations and pay for 'security' or have their land taken from them by force.

Hotaru's father, however, did not fall for their threats and confronted them in every field. He fought them at his farm and called for the authorities to intervene. They lost close friends that feared the Resistance, but they lived by the belief that justice would come to them one day. The belief of living in an Orderrealm like his father envisioned was what he admired most about the man.

Once night fell and the family was eating dinner, Hotaru's dad talked about how his usual buyers at the market refused to chat with him because of some shady people, that he knew were with the resistance, kept glancing at everyone who spoke to him about something other than fruit. Nonetheless, he changed the topic. "It's almost three weeks now, son. Money for your hair cut is at the entrance. I expect you here before noon".

Hotaru turned to face his mother who just gave him a concerned look. He then decided to drop the news on his father. "Dad… I want to join the Seidan Guard. I want to enter the Guardsmen Academy".

His father stopped eating at looked at him with a stoic face. "You do?". He then crossed his arms. "Convince me, then".

His mother was uneasy, but Hotaru stood up and left the table to go to his room. A few moments later he returned with a pile of documents wrapped on a leather envelope. "Application forms, measurements for uniforms, and a copy of my overall grades. I'll get my teacher's signature as soon as school starts on Autumn and then-" He was cut when his father just raised a finger.

The man read the documents for a long time, analyzing every page, every paragraph, every line. Once he was done, he just placed the papers back and returned them to Hotaru. "I expect you tomorrow by noon…" he said before getting another bite of his food. Heartbroken, Hotaru just walked back to his room to place the documents back in place. "Boy, I am not done talking". Both Hotaru and his mother looked with surprise at his father. "I want you back here by noon… with some ice-cream for all of us to celebrate. And I think we'll have more ice-cream in this house from now on for a long time".

Hotaru ran to hug his father and his mother, exited by the fact that his dream to become a hero like his father was closer to fruition.

* * *

A year passed and while keeping up with both schoolwork and basic guardsmen's theoretical courses was hard, Hotaru managed to do so with flying colors; the hardships, however, were not the complexity or volume of the topics but rather the other kids. Like right now, he was heading to school on his white uniform as instructed by White town's education law, but more than one dropout was known to keep watch for possible recruits for the Resistance, as well as future 'threats' to it; and just in time, Hotaru's path was interrupted by a knife that got stuck on the ground in front of him.

"Hey! Pick that and apologize!" The white-haired boy yelled at the others on top of the wall.

Three fifteen-year-olds then descended and surrounded Hotaru. They all wore black shirts with orange scarfs, a normal attire for young sympathizers of the Resistance. The tallest kid then stepped forward. "Or else what, little girl? Gonna cry to mommy and daddy?" He then pushed the younger boy. "Fight like a man!".

Hotaru merely scoffed at his comment, stood up, and faced the boy once again. "The law says no minor can hold edge-based weapons under any circumstances. By picking it up I would be as much of a slimeball as you are".

"Well, well. The little girl reads books!". One of the other kids then took Hotaru's bag and dropped the contents on the floor. His bento lunch was ruined, and his notes got covered in mud, but what made him scared was when they found his Guardsmen Manual.

"Oh, wow. Look at this Kun-Paan. The little girl is a dung-beetle!" another of the teenagers said.

"Oh really? Well, boys, you know what we must do!" Kun-Paan said and all boys surrounded Hotaru.

"Is dad angry with me?" Hotaru asked his mother while she cleaned his wounds.

"Angry that you insisted on going to school instead of a doctor or back home? Yes".

"I followed the rules as dad said. If I don't have a perfect attendance record, I might get rejected!".

"And what good will you be to them if you are hurt beyond recovery!?" She snapped back at him. Hotaru didn't respond; he just sniffed and held back his tears. His mother sighed and then held his cheek. "I'm sorry. But you were right by not fighting them, and he is proud of that".

Their conversation was interrupted by screaming parents complaining to Hotaru's father. Once his son had told them about the teenagers who ambushed him, his father found them and sent the police after them. Although minors, due to the number of crimes committed, they had been sent to trial and faced execution; something that the other parents were not happy with and were now threatening the family to drop the charges. Hotaru's father did not move from his position, however.

Once the screaming stopped, the father entered the house once again. "They pretended to frighten me with threats of violence. I just told them the Seidan Guard and the neighbors would find and testify against them". He then walked next to his son and took a deep breath. "I am not mad with you; I'm just mad at what you did. Being a Seidan Guard should not be the only thing in your life. Following the rules should always be a priority, but our rules are more important. And our first rule is that always want you to be safe for us".

The boy took a deep breath, smiled, and nodded. The family then shared a hug.

* * *

Hotaru's thirteenth birthday was special for the family. The gala uniform and the custom-made cadet armor had arrived, and the day was spent making portraits of the boy wearing them. It was a happy day even though most of the town had distanced themselves from them due to the father's constant clash with supporters of the Resistance. It didn't help that they had now decided to take his father's farm. But he had managed to fight them off and some guardsmen had even decided to offer protection out of respect for one of their own.

Time went by, and the day arrived when Hotaru would move to the capital citadel as a full-time student in the academy. He would arrive a day earlier to get to know the capital and how to communicate with his family. The schedule was followed to perfection and they even were ahead of it. It would take them a few hours to get to the aircraft port, but they had enough time.

They at least thought so, but a surprise bomb on the mayor's opening of the new road on the mountain, courtesy of the Resistance, halted traffic. Worst still, was that they had arrived just as the flying contraption was leaving the port. The boy was angry, his parents could tell; whenever he was having a tantrum, he would remain silent and just hide from anyone. In this case, it involved him laying down on the cart and covering himself with the cart's cover all the way back to the house.

They arrived at night, and before they went to bed, His parents wanted to relieve their son's frustration. After washing his mouth and cleaning his hair, his mother wanted to give him one of his favorite fruit cakes, but he rejected, being too late and outside of food schedule. But he did promise to eat along with breakfast. With all done for the day, they would try to go to the port again the next day.

The night was going normally, but Hotaru was woken up by a loud cracking at the main door. He heard his parents going down and was ready to go help them. But as soon as he got to the stairs, he was grabbed by his mother who pushed him to her room and locked the door behind her. She then pushed her closet which revealed a compartment big enough for three people and a hole in the ground which lead to the first floor covered by a heavy plank.

That meant bad news. This was their panic escape room. While his mother did all that, Hotaru could hear clashing blades even with the door closed. He would have expressed his concern, but he knew the rules that followed if the escape compartment was opened.

"Hotaru, we've been set up. Someone ordered security to leave early. The Resistance decided to attack this night. Your father is fighting them, do you remember what you must do!?". He nodded. "Exactly silence is key". Hotaru entered the compartment, but before his mother could they heard the door being forced. Mother and son looked at each other with pure panic, and with tears on her eyes, she pushed the closet and blocked his exit. She managed to then run to her nightstand and retrieved a knife just as the invaders, knocked the door down and proceeded to grab and hold her down.

A few moments later, another Resistance soldier arrived. "No sign of the brat, sir!".

One of the people holding the woman down then grabbed her by her hair, forcing her to look at them. "Where is he, skank!?".

She then looked at him with pure hate but answered immediately and without hesitation. "Far away, must be already landing at the capital! He is far away from you monsters!".

"Bring the husband!". The man holding her ordered and soon after, Hotaru's father was dropped on the bed, his face beaten and covered with blood beyond recognition. "Where is your son, dog!?".

Almost unconscious, he looked at his wife and then managed to see with his peripheral vision the small gap behind the closet and the eye of Hotaru. He then turned around and faced his inquisitor. "Gone. He will soon be at the Guardsmen Academy and away from you forever!".

The head Resistance fighter did not respond to what he said. Instead, he grabbed one of his bladed gauntlets and then placed the edge of the weapon against the throat of his wife. "It doesn't really matter. All we want is for this land to become part of our cause; so, we'll only ask this once: Where is your family seal?"

The family seal was the most prized possession of any orderrealmer. It was a legal symbol that represented a person and their family on any legal document. Neither parent said anything, and that made the Resistance leader push the blade into the woman's throat making some blood come out. Both Hotaru and his father watched in panic, but Hotaru had to follow the rules that his parents gave him, so he remained quiet.

A moment passed and then another Resistance fighter entered the room. "Boss! The kid might be here, his bed was unmade!".

The leader then turned around to face the woman again. "Oh really? Well miss, tell you what: If you give us the seal, we won't gut your kid when we find him; and I can assure you, we will find him".

Hotaru's mother looked with sadness at her husband. A tear ran down her face before she addressed the invader once again. "You are lying… My son is not here. He didn't make his bed out of excitement, what kid doesn't? But it doesn't matter, you'll take the seal and then kill us just for the fun of it. But know that one day, all of what you have done will hit you twice as hard! You'll pay for what you have- AAAAGH!". She was silenced by the man slicing her throat open. She gasped for air for a few seconds before her body went limp.

Hotaru's father was now livid. He tried to free himself, but the leader of the invaders just moved behind him and then impaled the blade through his nape and the point came out through his mouth. He died almost instantly and then was thrown towards the closet. Hotaru flinched but held back the scream when the corpse slammed against the wood, and worse of all, the impact had managed to move the closet.

The members of the Resistance then started to move towards the piece of furniture. The boy saw the shadows getting closer and then closed his eyes and prayed to Grava for his safety. "Well what do you know, boys?" he heard one of the intruders say. "Looks like the seal was hidden in here all along!".

"What now, boss? We have the seals of the farmers in this valley".

"We have no use for the houses. Burn them to the ground".

"What about them? Shouldn't we burry them properly?".

"And who is going to yell at us if we don't? Stop talking and get the powder in here".

As the men left the room, Hotaru moved the plank blocking the escape hole as quietly as possible and thankfully not alerting the intruders. He jumped down the hole and arrived at a secret room behind the cupboard which held three bags filled with supplies and a box full of sapphire koins. He waited for the men to leave through the front door before he left through the kitchen and ran as deep as he could through his neighbors' fields. A few minutes later, he was then able to hear an explosion see a column of fire rising from his house and then the others surrounding it.

He was not one to hold back his feelings; but more than sadness, he felt anger. His parents had never done anything to hurt anyone, never done anything to warrant another person's wrath, they never complained or wished ill towards others, all their actions were based on rules that everyone else had to live with as well. Why couldn't they just do the same!?

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH! I'LL HUNT YOU ALL DOWN! YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID! YOU HEAR ME! EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU PARASITES WILL PAY FOR THIS!". He fell to his knees and cried while slamming the floor. After a long time, he decided to leave and fulfill his deepest wish.

He arrived in town sometime at dawn and sat down next to the chariot service waiting for the business to open and hiding with some of the clothes over his head.

Some hours later, the rider arrived and looked at him with annoyance. "Get out of here kid, you can't feed the horses-".

"Take me to the port".

"Excuse me? Who do you-?". He was interrupted mid-sentence when Hotaru presented him the box filled with sapphire koins.

"We leave now!" He commanded as he pushed the box into the man's hands and climbed into the chariot. The man did not say anything and just prepared the horse. Within minutes, they were now leaving town. But Hotaru did not care about anything anymore but to bring everyone in the Resistance down and everyone who prayed upon the innocent as they did. That was his promise.

* * *

The memories of the chariot passed through his mind. He balled his left fist and it began to shake, he also clenched his teeth and began to breathe heavily. Kollector noticed and was trying to make him walk again. "Say that again" he didn't ask but instructed Joanna to do. All women then looked at him with surprise, but he just turned around and repeated his statement with more emphasis. "Say. That. Again".

Knowing she had touched a nerve, Joanna chuckled and kept taunting him. "Could you say that again? I didn't hear you…" she said while also putting her open palm next to her ear.

He then marched towards her, stopped mere inches from her face, and repeated himself. "Say. That. Again".

"You're gonna have to be more specific, is it the one where I point out how daddy gave you everything on a silver platter, or…" she then raised her fist and started moving it back and forth. "the part where mommy did some favors for you to be comfy".

None of the Happy Huntresses expected Hotaru to then respond with a headbutt; and while Joanna recovered from the blow, he got behind her, and choke held her with his left arm before making her fall on her knees. "Apologize right now!" he ordered her before applying more pressure.

The other women were already reaching for their weapons except for Robyn who raised her hand ordering them to stop. "I apologize on behalf of my team". Everyone went still and looked at her; Hotaru with curiosity and the others with confusion. "We went too far. We know nothing about you… or your parents… please forgive us".

He looked at her eyes directly, looking for any sign of her lying; but he saw nothing of the sort. He released Joanna who fell on her hands gasping for air. Kollector then arrived next to his master. "Thank you, Miss Hill. Have a good evening" he said before leaving. The women went on the other direction and then out of sight.

"Make no mention of this to lord Onaga, understood!?".

"Mention of what?".

"Good". They were now heading towards the main door but stopped when the voice of Roy Grey halted them.

"H-man, where are you going?" the man asked as he arrived. "You know, the funniest thing just happened: I found my old classmates from Atlas! You know… at one point I had something with each of them" he said while nudging his elbow. "Although maybe all of them at the same time was a bad idea… would have settled with May but then the surgeries happened, and it became boring… I'll tell you, nothing better than a relationship with another…".

Hotaru had long since stopped listening to this person. He instead wanted to distract himself with something else. 'The water is clean. The decorations are great, I'll give him that. Kollector seems to have made some material gains, Is that the Ninth Symphony of Beethoven on the saxophone? I love classical music from Earthrealm, so…calming… EARTHREALM!?'. Hotaru quickly left both Kollector and Roy behind as he approached the stage where the music was coming from. He tried to push his way in front, but it proved harder than expected.

"Please give an applause to The Soul Brother, now up next-". Hotaru reached the front of the stage, but the next band was already there. He turned around frantically and then he saw him. A person in a deep black suit, fedora, gloves, and shoes heading through the main door. Before he left, the man raised his hat, and Hotaru was able to see a pure white bald head.

Ignoring the complaints from the other guests, he made his way through the crowd to catch this man. If his theory was right, he was now on pursuit of the missing leader of the Brotherhood of Shadow.

* * *

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* * *

**_And now, what every fanfiction writer fears... canon over-writing._**

**_Don't worry, I will not stop posting; I might get a headache fitting everything going forward, though. Thanks, Ed!_**

**_I'm not big on writing backstories out of the blue and I'm not sure if I made Hotaru justice, but I like to think this could be his story in a timeline._**


	19. Chapter 19

By the time Hotaru arrived at the doors to the room, the man was already ahead of him and turning to the west hall. He immediately followed the other man while Kollector screamed "My lord!" behind him. But Hotaru did not listen. He then arrived at the indoor balcony facing the vestibule at the entrance. He looked left and right, but there was no trace of his suspect. When he turned around to retrace his steps until he heard the echo of running shoes and turned just in time to see the black pants heading to the east wing. Hotaru went down the stairs as fast as he could and managed to see the man entering the wet area of the club. He then slammed the door open and found himself in a maze of lockers and partially naked men. Some of the guests looked at him with surprise and were voicing their discontent but Hotaru quickly shushed them. The silence was immediate, and he then kept walking down the corridors until he heard the steps once again and a door being slammed open somewhere on the right. He found the door and rammed through it. He looked around and then found the man running up a spiral staircase already on the third floor. Hotaru followed, and if his understandings of the club's structure were correct, the man would be trapped in the game room, the entertainment room, or the smoking room.

A stair trip later, he arrived at the hall and opened the smoking room, finding it empty; the smell was undetectable from the outside as well, so this door had not been opened for a while. He then opened the door to the game room and found four men playing billiards. "Have you seen another man enter this room!?" he asked them immediately. They all just shook their heads. After closing the game room, he moved towards the final door. Deciding not to warn the man of his presence, he opened the door as slowly as possible.

Once inside he was able to see the entire room had no windows. There were two small theaters, four booths for smaller groups to watch movies or play videogames, and big chairs for reading. All those doors were open, and no trace of the man could be found.

"Do you need any help, sir?" Hotaru heard the voice of a young man from behind him. He quickly turned around and found a pale boy with blue eyes and white hair wearing a white shirt, blue vest, and deep blue pants sitting in one of the chairs with a book in hand.

The physical traits of the boy seemed familiar to Hotaru; but right now, he had something more important to worry about. "Did you see another man enter this room just before me?".

The boy, in turn, raised an eyebrow before answering. "No sir. It's just you and me in here".

'How did that leech manage to escape…?' Hotaru thought to himself facing away from the boy again.

"You are Hotaru Taakoizu, right? The head of Seido Industries?" the boy asked closing his book and standing.

Hotaru turned to face the boy once again and addressed him with as little annoyance in his voice as he could now. "I am… and you are?".

"Whitley Schnee. My pleasure" He said with a smile and an extended hand.

This genuinely surprised Hotaru, considering how the other Schnees reacted to his presence. He shook the boy's hand, nonetheless. "Mine as well".

Almost as if the boy were a mind reader, he continued his conversation. "Don't worry, I hold no grudge against you. Not like I would have ever had anything to do with it anyway". The older man looked at him with even more curiosity. "It's funny, actually. I would have given anything for father to name his heir. But now I realize that it is not worth the trouble. Winter is gone, my mother gave up a long time ago, father never really cared about me, the servants only stick around for a paycheck… and Weiss… will also be gone forever to be a huntress... but I accept that reality; there is nothing to do about it now". When he was done, Whitley's scroll rang. He answered it and just gave a quick "ok" before hanging up. "Father passed out, looks like the night is over for him... and everyone else. All I can say is congratulations. But don't get too attached to this life of yours, there is always a long time after it" he said with what could only be described as a genuine smile.

As the boy left, Hotaru felt confused by the boy's reaction. He knew the bitterness of loneliness could lead to catastrophic results, especially at a young age. But Whitley seemed to just roll with his fate. 'What could have changed him?' Hotaru wondered for a short time; but a few moments later, Kollector arrived at the room with his bag in hand.

"Lord Hotaru! The meeting will start soon, what happened?".

Kollector's question brought him out of his thoughts. "A major problem. That's what it was. We need to move fast…". Hotaru looked around and decided to settle with one of the screening rooms. "There. That place will do, let's go".

Once inside, they made sure there were no security cameras and that the doors would be locked and secure. Once they were sure of being alone, Kollector took out a zaphyre, accessed a special function, and after a loading bar and a cloud of static, they were finally greeted with the face of a red robot.

Once both men were ready, they got in front of the screen and Hotaru addressed the robot. "Grandmaster Sektor, I am pleased to inform you that the scarab performed adequately. Also, I hope you have received my most recent batch of 'volunteers'".

"Indeed, commander. But that'll have to wait; the emperor is ready to join us!". Seconds later, Sektor's screen was reduced and the silhouette of a giant man with wings and horns appeared on the screen. That was wrong. The former palace of the Senate was more than equipped with light sources that were always on. "My emperor did anything happens?".

"Raiden happened. He got too close to learning the truth.; but he was dealt with. Our main powerline was damaged in the altercation. Report".

"I am glad to inform you that the Branwen tribe has been dealt with. All, but one, were killed during the attack or in its aftermath, and no trace of their existence will be ever found".

Onaga was still skeptical of his second in command though. "Proof?".

Hotaru then moved aside and allowed Kollector to take center stage. From his bag, the naknada then pulled a burnt white mask and a burnt red bandana. "The mask, sir, was her symbol. And this burnt rag was all that could be recovered from her fiery grave". Kollector then allowed images to appear on the screen. "The camp was burnt down entirely; and whatever remained was transported to disposal units under the disguise of waste from our company. Botanical sorcerers from Seido have already treated the ground and vegetation is expected to grow back in a week". The images then showed Shay in his new appearance. "Shay D. Mann, the only survivor, was given a new identity and he is under constant vigilance".

Onaga seemed pleased with his report but noticed that there was concern on Hotaru's face. "There is more to report, right commander?".

"Yes, sir. Two things, unfortunately. I've come to learn about new developments that completely alter our understanding of this world".

Onaga and Sektor were both surprised by Hotaru's statement. "Explain" commanded Onaga.

Kollector then showed them a video file of Raven fighting Hotaru. Before either Sektor or Onaga could question the video's relevance, Hotaru explained. "Her elemental powers are not associated with what we understand as a semblance. They are far more powerful and were referred to as 'the powers of a maiden' by Raven Branwen during our encounter. Not only that, but she also revealed they were of magical origin, rebutting our understanding that magic was nonexistent in this world. Furthermore, she suggested that headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy was in some kind of conflict with a person referred to as 'The Witch'".

"And what is your take on all of these developments".

"Since the end of our mission, Kollector found references of the 'Spring Maiden' as part of this universe's folklore. That could open an entirely different interpretation of how this world works. Which gods could be real, the nature of Grimm, even something as a semblance could present itself as a problem down the road".

Concern was noticeable in both men. Sektor then intervened once again. "What about the second problem?".

Hotaru took a deep breath but answered immediately. "Our greatest fear has materialized. The saxophone player at the hotel was here tonight as well. And I strongly believe that man is, indeed, Quan Chi".

Onaga growled before addressing all present. "After all these years… he is now hiding here…". He now seemed deep in thought. It took a while before he spoke again to Sektor. "What is your report on the reprogramming algorithm?".

"The new version has managed to work on 89% of the subspecies. Our main concern remains the hormonal shifts of the test subjects".

"And what about your apprentice's mission?".

"She will have the information we require soon, my lord".

"Good. This supposed war of Ozpin concerns me, Hotaru. Start the infiltration phase!".

All three of Onaga's lieutenants felt shocked by that statement. Sektor being the first to express his concern. "My lord, the algorithm is not-".

"We understand nothing of this secret conflict. We don't know the extent of it or even the identity of one of the fighting sides. We must secure the one we know of".

"But to speed up the coding process we would require most of the AI available. Security would fall at least sixty percent!".

"A chance I am willing to take! And for this to work as well, your apprentice must better have that information soon. Nikos is key for the success of this plan, especially because we are now working faster!". The robot bowed and Onaga addressed Hotaru once again. "We must gain the trust of Ozpin and the other headmasters; I have a feeling they all have a role to play in this. Get in contact with them before my arrival".

Hotaru and Kollector bowed as well. "It shall be done, my lord".

"Now… to the matter of Raiden's allies".

Sektor decided to address the issue first. "Outside of Kuai Liang and the Shirai-Ryu dog, there have been no other sightings. They could be using portals to move around as we do".

"Then we should be able to know where they are by following the flow of magic!" Kollector pondered.

"Negative. If they know of our presence here, then they would also be using protective spells to hide their energy signals. Furthermore, Special Forces was successful in reverse engineering portal technology according to inside sources".

"Keep security at the main entrances of every cover business we use. Tell the syndicates to provide their own security for a while. That would be all, gentlemen. I'll be back in Vale as soon as Hotaru and Kollector arrive there as well".

With that said, all screens closed and the Zaphyre returned to normal. Hotaru and Kollector then proceeded to return to the party with a new objective in mind.

* * *

Soon after they arrived at the dance hall, councilman Grey approached them once again but with annoyance on his face. "Hope you have a good excuse for leaving me talking myself just now!?".

Hotaru ignored and just kept walking forward for a while before talking to Grey with a neutral voice. "My apologies. I saw something that interested me. It was a pleasure, but now I have a more important business to attend". Hotaru was stopped however when Grey grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him to turn around.

Grey seemed ready to start a fight. But he just took a deep breath before talking in his cheerful voice once again. "Look. Maybe we started with the wrong foot. Maybe I was being too forward with my deal. Tell you what: I know a guy who can hook us up with some top-notch moon dust; he owes me. And if you want to mingle, he also has them as young as fifteen; boys, girls, faunus or not, your choice. Mr. Rott over there has a VIP room to use too!".

Kollector saw Hotaru breaking from a mile away. But was surprised when his boss laughed at what Grey said. "Oh, councilman. May we go somewhere more private?". He directed all three to a section under the stairs and next to where few people were gathered. Grey didn't have a chance to speak once more before Hotaru grabbed him by the neck and lifted him off the ground. "Listen to me, you worm. If it were not for the fact that your death would mean more trouble for me, I would gladly disembowel you in front of everyone in this room". He tightened his grip on Grey's neck and continued. "This is your final warning: We don't want anything to do with you, now or ever; so leave us. And if you think you can take our company out by what I just said, trust me; I have more dirt on you than you could possibly imagine!". Hotaru then heard a set of steps getting closer, so he dropped Grey who just gasped for air for a moment.

Soon after, May showed up. Most likely still following them and expecting to get some dirt on Hotaru. He and Kollector pretended that she wasn't there, and he then talked to Grey in a more friendly tone. "As I told you before Mr. Grey: Seido will not take sides in this election. We are here just for formalities; but thank you, nonetheless. We wish you good luck". He took the man's hand and shook it before leaving with Kollector. As they passed next to May, Hotaru saluted her with a small "Ma'am" before going up the stairs once again.

May was puzzled by what just happened; and when she turned around to face Grey, she could now see the pure panic in his eyes as well as the heavy breaths he was taking.

Upstairs, Hotaru and Kollector were getting ready to leave. As soon as they asked for their transportation to come and pick them up, however, Hotaru found general Ironwood admiring a statue. "An art enthusiast?" He asked the general.

"Not really. But Winter is still not done with our new students".

"Speaking of students, general. I just had a call from lord Onaga, and he told me of this idea to help the kingdoms. I was expecting you could tell me how possible or outlandish this idea could be".

Knowing Winter would still take some time to settle things with her new rival, he decided this short conversation could be a good pastime. "Sure, sounds interesting".

* * *

The conspirator's corner on the library was now the setting of a cold war of sorts. By the end of the day Jaune had given up in trying to get on Pyrrha's good side. If she wanted to distance herself like that because of a white lie, so be it.

Weiss, in the meantime, was standing next to the board and finally managed to get the attention of the blond and the redhead. "So… I got in touch with someone back in Atlas who can help us find someone to look for any inconsistencies in the financial reports. I trust my source with my life, and he tells me the other person has earned his full trust. So, I feel confident in vouching for both".

Before anyone could say anything, Jaune could be heard whispering. "Hope this one is one cover she is comfortable with". Everyone tensed up, but Pyrrha decided to take the high road and ignored his comment.

Weiss sighed and continued with the meeting. "Ok… how is the cracking of the new information we gathered?" she asked Blake; and only now did all notice her eye bags.

"It's useless!" she said before throwing the scroll on the table.

An optimistic Nora then took the device and tried to cheer her up. "How can you say that? Look at all the information in here". She opened many folders, and each had heavy files within.

Blake, however, seemed to see that comment from Nora coming. "Try opening one of those audio files". Nora did, and an incoherent set of sounds began to loudly play. She quickly closed the thing before anyone came to see what all the noise was. "Now try with one of the other files". Nora did; but the scroll did nothing. "None of the cracking algorithms of the White Fang works with those files".

Everyone remained quiet for a long moment. Neptune, however, kept pressing. "This whole thing could not have been for nothing. There must be something we can do!".

"If there is, I don't know where to start".

Sun then decided to intervene. "That is not true. The White Fang made those programs you used, right?". Blake nodded. "And they developed them when a new secure system was made, right?". She nodded again. "So we now need to find someone like one of those guys to help us!".

Blake sighed in frustration. "It's not that easy Sun! I no longer have contacts with the kind of Fang members; and even then, it would take that person weeks, or even months to get those files".

"But… it is possible, right?".

"If you have a super genius on coding lying around and an artificial intelligence that can crack the code as if it were a person's mind, or hell, a combination of both; then yes it would be possible".

The table went quiet once again. But slowly, everyone began to turn their heads towards Ruby who had a raised hand. "Do… you have… anything to add, Ruby?" asked Pyrrha.

"I… know of someone who… 'meets' those requirements". Everyone's faces immediately turned to smiles. Yang stood up and went to hug her sister.

"Alright! Yes, Ruby!".

* * *

"For the love of… No, Ruby!". Yang said while grabbing her hair in desperation. "Ruby, never mind the fact she is also based on Beacon, an Atlas student working directly under Ironwood!?" She whispered to her younger sister to not call the attention of her sister's trump card who was now opening the door to her temporary dormitory.

"Salutations friend Ruby and companions! You told me you had something fun to do today?" Penny happily exclaimed to Ruby, Yang, and Jaune.

Although Ruby's plan to keep Penny's identity a secret from the others was successful at first when everyone was just surprised that Ruby had arranged a meeting within minutes; Yang and Jaune, who had agreed to go with her for safety reasons, were now doubting Ruby's judgment as a whole.

In their defense, they didn't know Penny was a robot; they just knew her as Ruby's quirky and over-enthusiastic friend. The black-haired girl then gathered Jaune and Yang on a circle. "Trust me, guys. She is our best bet". She then turned around and faced Penny once again. "Hi Penny, how have you been? What are you guys up to?".

"I am great! Ciel and the others are briefing new Atlas students on a side project, but they asked me to remain behind and guard the dormitory!". The girl proclaimed with excitement.

"That is great… but… could I ask a favor?".

The red-haired girl then looked at Ruby with curiosity. "A… favor?".

"Yes… and… could it be a secret just between us?".

"But I am supposed to tell Ciel my activities". Penny said with concern.

"Yes… but we really need this, Penny. I am asking you as a friend" Ruby told her holding her hand.

"And… you promise nothing bad will come from this?". Ruby and Jaune nodded frantically. Penny's frown then turned into a smile, she threw her arms in the air and proudly proclaimed "I'll do it!".

"Great!" Ruby said with a smile. Jaune then pulled out the scroll from his pocket. "We need you to hack into this scroll".

Penny then took the device from Jaune and connected it to her computer and, unknown to everyone else, to her processor.

Yang, on her end, gathered all the other teens. "Ruby, I have a real hard time believing that THIS girl is some sort of computer genius. She seems too-".

"Done!" Penny said while turning around. Ruby and the others were still trying to understand what just happened. To Jaune and Yang it was still impossible that this over-excitable girl could crack such security in a matter of seconds. Ruby was surprised by the speed of that, of course, but she felt more pride at that moment. All three ran towards the computer and, sure enough, there were now text files upon text files where the previous mysterious unopenable files were.

Yang turned around and gave Penny a bone-crunching hug. "Sorry for ever doubting you. From now on, you and I are cool".

Penny just stared at her. "Why would our new relationship status be freezing?".

Before yang could explain, however. They were interrupted by Jaune. "Uh… Penny… what does this mean?". The blonde girl and the robot turned to face the screen. Jaune had opened one of the files and they were presented with a series of numbers, commands, and letters.

Penny looked with amazement at the screen. "They're algorithms…".

"Algo-what now?" Yang asked.

"Algorithms. A sequence of well-defined, computer-implementable instructions". Jaune answered. He then noticed all other girls looking at him with surprise. "What? Can't a guy know a few things about computer science?". Yang and Ruby raised an eyebrow. "…I read the definition in one of my comics… but anyway. An algorithm for what?".

Penny faced the screen once again and answered. "I don't know… this language is unlike any I know of… and they all seem to be part of a bigger program…".

Ruby then looked at her with worry. "But… can you still read it?".

"Could take me some time… but yeah, I can!". An alarm clock went off and everyone turned to look at it. "Oh no! Ciel's meeting is over. You guy have to go!". Penny told them as she then pushed all other teens out of her room.

Yang managed to turn and face her. "Relax, just tell her you are having a time with friends".

"I can't. It'll be maintenance time!".

"Maintenance for what!?" Jaune managed to ask.

"I… no time to explain! I'll tell you when everything is done! Bye!" she managed to tell them before slamming the door shut.

Ruby then faced her friend and sister with the smuggest grin she could make and crossing her arms on her chest. "Fine!" Yang exhaled. "You were right, and we were wrong. Happy now?".


	20. Chapter 20

Truth be told, Qrow did miss life in Patch sometimes. A stable job as a teacher, hanging around with his nieces, annoying their father occasionally. It was a good place to relax and just do nothing for a few days. But knowing what he knows, he decided that helping Ozpin was more important. He even had an assignment now but had to pause it to answer an emergency from his still-kind-of-sort-of brother-in-law. The trail of the people who ambushed Amber had gone cold, but he knew nothing that hinted Salem's involvement could be ignored for too long. That was until he received a wave of messages, videos, and calls from Tai begging him to go to Patch for something of 'extreme importance' that could not be talked over by scroll.

Finally, a few days after receiving the first wave, Qrow arrived at Tai's house in the woods. He knocked on the door and a few seconds later it opened. Tai-Yang's strong-arm grabbed Qrow by the neck of his shirt and pulled him inside. The door then slammed shut while both men stood still; Tai-Yang looking through the peeping hole and Qrow analyzing what just happened.

"Did you tell Ozpin or someone else you were coming!?" Tai asked the other man.

"No… and to be clear: I am on a mission, you know?". Qrow told him as Tai lead the way towards the living room.

Tai-Yang took a deep breath and talked to Qrow with a more relaxed voice this time. "I know, but this is very serious. I need your help to figure out what is going on and what to do!".

"Tai, no offense, but you are one of the most vanilla people I know. What could be keeping… you… altered…". They had arrived at the living room; and sitting on the couch in front of the TV was a tanned woman in her early twenties wearing a bathrobe and a towel over her hair; she must have recently used the shower. Next to her were dishes with sausages, cereal, eggs, and bread. She also had the TV on a news channel but was more than distracted by the music coming from her earphones and the coat of nail polish she was applying on her left hand. "Oh, Tai. Now I get it…".

"You do!?" The blond man asked surprised that Qrow understood the situation just by looking at the girl.

"I do…". Qrow then took a deep breath and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Look, I'm glad you are ready to meet people again, but my experience tells me that women her age with men your age are only looking for a sugar daddy. Never mind what Yang and Ruby would feel by you dating someone a little older than they are. But! I won't judge, I don't know the whole picture, and it is your life after all. If you feel like this is real, I'll try my best to get used to it and help you with the girls as well. I can only tell you to be careful".

Tai-Yang stared at Qrow for a long time until it clicked what was that the other was implying. His cheeks turned crimson and he slapped the man's hand off his shoulder. "You… me… with… what!? Qrow, no! That's not it! That is not the problem, she is only half the problem! Heck, a small part of it really!".

Not liking Tai-yang's tone, Qrow retorted. "If not that, then what?".

"Hey, Tai! You are out of wine. You got any rum?" A tired female voice said from upstairs. A few seconds later, Raven arrived wearing a long-sleeved shirt, that barely covered her thighs and black shorts. When she turned to enter the living room, however, she was face to face with her twin brother.

The silence that followed felt eternal. Both Raven and Qrow were not sure if they should be yelling at each other or yelling at Tai-Yang; but eventually, Qrow spoke first. "Raven…".

"Qrow…" Raven answered.

"Tai…" they both said looking at the blond.

Their conversation was interrupted, however, when the girl on the couch raised her empty plate and took out one of her earbuds. "Hey, Mr. Xiao Long. Do you have more sau… sage… rolls…" she had finally turned her head away from all that was surrounding her and noticed the three older people in the room. She then looked at what she identified as a male version of Raven. "Uhh… I'm Vernal… it's a pleasure…?".

* * *

After half-an-hour of incomprehensible yelling, Vernal managed to sit everyone on the dining room table. She and Raven were at one side while Tai and Qrow were sited at the other. "Ok… Raven, we did come here for help…".

"No, we came here to lay low and leave when we are ready. And guess what? We are!". Raven stood up and Qrow was about to follow but was stopped by Tai-Yang.

"Don't bother. She is bluffing".

"Excuse me!?" Raven said with indignation. "And what would a below-average teacher at a school in the middle of an island know about-" she stopped mid-sentence when Tai-Yang placed a canister of dust on the table. "What is that supposed to- AAAAH". She and Vernal jumped back when Tai-Yang turned the canister and showed them the blue square of Seido Industries.

"You are still scared by this logo alone. Enough said".

This caught Qrows attention. "And why would she be scared by that?" he asked Tai-Yang.

"Beats me, but when the head of the company was on TV, they threw the remote and broke it. My vacation fund got cut in half…".

"Wait…" Qrow was not much of a television person, but the stories about the kidnapped CEO did reach his ears while looking for Amber's attackers. Once he linked all on his head, he then turned to his sister with panic. "Don't tell me it was you who kidnapped the CEO!". Raven and Vernal didn't say anything. They just looked away. "Well, congratulations Tai. You have fugitives, and potential terrorists, in your hands. Better watch your back, the tribe may arrive soon".

He was ready to leave, but Vernal's words stopped him. "They won't. The tribe is dead". Qrow turned slowly, confusion was visible on his eyes. "We are the only survivors".

Shocked, he then looked at Tai-Yang who had the same face. "Don't look at me. This is the first time I've heard this!".

Raven continued the explanation. "Whoever that man claims to be, he is not. But I can tell you this: You now have a problem just as big as Salem in your hands". Qrow's face told her enough; he wanted answers. "He can create portals at will, he has literal monsters and walking weapons at his disposal, and worse of all: He can use magic".

Both men sat in perfect silence as they heard their tale. How they heard the world's biggest criminal confederation was formed, the kidnappings, the massacre, the trial, and, finally, their escape.

* * *

It had been eight minutes since the robots revealed their cores and the temperature was now unbearable. Both Vernal and Raven were now on their underwear, intending to complete Vernal's plan.

While Raven had long since taken one of the metal buzz saws from the robots and was getting used to the weight and handling of the weapon; Vernal had taken out the bodies of two of the women who had died while attempting to escape the first time and replaced their clothes with Vernal and Raven's.

Sweaty and panting, Vernal tied the bandana on the corpse's head, buried the other clothes, and then turned to Raven. "Finished. Are you done?".

Raven had regained a minimal amount of aura. Whether what was left could be enough to use her semblance once more or not, she did not yet know. She was more worried about how to use this weapon. She had grown so used to Omen that creating a portal with another bladed weapon took her time to get used to. She tried to concentrate but the heat made it more difficult, she was still tired from the beatings and the running, and worst of all, the cores were now sounding an alarm.

Raven slashed the air many times again and again without the desired result. Vernal was trying to calm her telling Raven to clear her mind and just think of an objective. Raven knew how her semblance worked. Until she realized she missed an important factor during her panicking moment. 'I want to be somewhere safe… I want to be safe… I want to be with someone with whom I can be safe… who have I ever bonded with that could make me feel safe…?'.

A final slash of the buzzsaw created the desired portal. Vernal was ecstatic with joy but then saw the thing almost vanishing. She then remembered Raven and saw her on her knees and gasping for air almost ready to fall unconscious due to fatigue. Vernal helped her stand and kept her awake as they made their way to the portal. The alarms were now sounding louder; Vernal then carried Raven on her shoulders and sprinted towards the portal.

She jumped and all she could remember at that moment was that wherever they were it was incredibly cooler; both in the atmosphere and the floor. The portal had to have materialized in the air as she fell to the ground from a distance of at least three feet, and Raven had also fallen from her shoulders. A fraction of a second later, she heard and felt the heat of the explosion for a moment before everything went cool and quiet once again. She then looked up with what little strength she had left, and her tired eyes managed to see a boy of maybe thirteen years in a school uniform looking at her with surprise. "Help… us… ugh" was all she could say before falling unconscious on the floor.

* * *

Tai-Yang was good with kids. You don't get to raise two girls and teach in a school if you have something against young people. He genuinely enjoyed forming the next generation both in keeping the good customs and correcting the mistakes of his generation. He also tried his hardest to not be so strict on his troubled students like right now, where he was in an after-class talk with a student selling prohibited merchandise on school grounds. The funny thing is that this student would classify in the 'nerd' category of the school hierarchy. Back in the day, it would be the overgrown sports jocks who caused all the troubles; maybe the nerds also had a few rotten apples and he didn't know? Well, whatever it was, it did not matter right now.

"Ringo; just answer me: Why were you re-selling pornography that is available on-line, for free, on school grounds?".

The student in question, a five feet tall, skinny teen with short-spiky red hair, braces, and a serious acne problem, gasped in disgust at what the teacher suggested. "Mr. Xiao Long! I'll have you know that the 'Crystal Chronicles', although notorious for its reliance on sexualized poses, especially on the female cast, is actually valued as one of the most inspiring visual novels of our time".

Tai looked at the boy for a moment; his face showing no emotion. He then took a deep breath, massaged his temple, and continued. "Ringo, I was your age when the series was at the top of its popularity. I still have some of the original copies. I even bought the ones I was missing". He then took Ringo's reproduction and opened it at a spread-page. "And I'm very much sure there was not a scene where the heroine is gang-banged by the monstrous troops of The Shadow Lord!". He then dropped the book on the trash can. "Just admit you are printing pornographic material in your house and then selling it to others in the school. Better save us the time".

The boy then dropped to his knees. "Please Mr. Xiao Long, you don't understand! The idea that an average Joe meets and falls in love with a beautiful woman who suddenly disappears only for years later to learn that she is the princess of a magical race of people who trusted their most powerful weapon through their true love is what keeps some of us going through life! I am only making the others happy!".

Tai then took another deep breath. "First: You are selling something free. Second: You are making a profit from another person's work. And third: This is fiction! Not real life! The love of your life, who disappeared years ago without so much as saying 'goodbye' won't open up a portal and ask for your help against an alien army!".

At that precise moment, a black portal materialized behind Ringo. The student screamed and ran behind the teacher. Tai-Yang did not want to believe it, but the portal was unmistakable. "Raven?". He got closer to the portal and began to hear an alarm. A second later, a woman carrying another woman jumped from the portal and they both fell on the ground. Before Tai could question what just happened, the alarm stopped, and a column of light emerged from the portal for a fraction of a second before the portal closed.

The light managed to set the desk on fire, and it opened a circular hole on the wall and the blackboard. The younger woman managed to look up at Ringo and tell him "Help… us… ugh" before falling on the ground unconscious.

Tai then saw the other woman with long black hair and wearing pitch-black underwear lying on the floor. "It can't be…" Tai told himself as he turned the woman; and indeed, it was his long-gone wife. "Raven…?".

At the mention of her name, Raven managed to weakly open her eyes. It took her sight a moment to focus, but then she was able to see Tai-Yang. "Tai…? It worked…" she said before losing consciousness.

Confused by what was going on, Ringo asked his teacher. "Who are they, Mr. Xiao Long?".

"This one is… my wife…". Scared, Tai checked her pulse. It was there, but it was fading. He then took off his blazer and wrapped Raven in it before carrying her bridal style. He turned around and saw that the other girl was on her underwear as well and that Ringo was more than stupefied by the woman. "Ringo! Help me carry her to the nurse's office!".

The boy looked at his teacher, and a devious idea formed in his head. "I mean… I could Mr. Xiao Long… but what is in it for me?".

Tai-Yang looked at the boy with disbelief. "ARE YOU SERIOUS!? YOU ARE PUTTING THE LIFE OF THIS WOMEN ON THE LINE JUST FOR ME TO IGNORE WHAT YOU DID!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!? NOT HELPING SOMEONE IN NEED COULD LAND YOU AN EVEN WORSE PUNISHMENT THAN SELLING PORN! SO MOVE YOUR ASS!".

Once back on his senses, Ringo did just that and helped the other woman.

* * *

"Then I took her to Olive's office-".

"She still works there?" Qrow asked as Tai was now fixing A QUICK lunch for everyone.

"Yes, she is still the nurse, Qrow. But as I was saying: She was able to stabilize Raven; thankfully, Vernal was only exhausted. I got some weeks off due to domestic calamity, thanks to the fact that Raven and I never got officially divorced; but I'll have to pay for repairs".

He then arrived at the table with three plates of food for Vernal, Qrow, and himself. Before Qrow could question Tai-Yang about Raven's lunch, she just raised her hand and caught a frozen TV dinner that Tai had thrown her way. "Be right back; have to warm up my food".

As Raven stood, Tai sat with drinks for the three at the table. Qrow then faced Vernal who answered him immediately. "It's been like that since day one". Qrow was not surprised; it only made sense that Tai held some degree of grudge against Raven, all things considered. "She sleeps on the couch if you are wondering".

"I don't mind!" his sister said from next to the microwave. "I am not a fragile little boy that requires pampering".

"Oh! Funny enough that you now rely on a weak little boy to hide you from the 'big, bad, corporation'".

Raven slammed the microwave shut, almost breaking the door in the process. "Those people killed my entire clan and almost killed us!".

"Wow! It's almost as if they were your children and not cold-blooded murders! But how would you be able to tell the difference!?".

They both stopped arguing and instead paid attention to their food. Qrow knew better than to interfere, but he also knew this situation needed to be defused soon. "Tai. You are clearly not comfortable in this situation. Why did you even help her in the first place then?".

Before Tai-Yang could answer him, Raven spoke. "Please. You know how Tai is. If he were robed, he wouldn't press charges against press charges because he would then feel bad for the other guy".

"Well, that's ironic, coming from you".

"Hey. If I was robed; the guy would not live to tell the tale. Just as if I were the one who robed, I would make sure to never get caught. The difference between you and me, Tai: I have the balls".

"Ok; that's it you two!" Qrow told both adults. "You need to relieve some frustration if we want to move forward. So, everyone to the backyard; and bring your boxing gloves, Tai!".

* * *

Once outside, Qrow, Raven, and Vernal knew what was about to happen. Tai just looked as Qrow made a circle on the ground and then tied pillows to the boxing gloves. "Ok, Tai. Here is what we are going to do…" Qrow started as he approached Raven with o pair of gloves while Vernal approached Tai-Yang with the other. "This is how we solved conflicts back in the tribe: You'll punch each other and will be able to say whatever is in your mind. All, but semblances and violence outside the ring, is allowed".

Raven did not hide her annoyance, however. "Psh. Come on Qrow; it's Tai. He is probably gonna ask us to go into 'couple's therapy' or some other crap like-". Raven was unable to finish that sentence due to a left hook from Tai-Yang hitting her on the face.

"You abandoned us, bitch!" he screamed, surprising both Branwens who had never seen such hostility from Tai-Yang before.

"Uuuuuh, I think we have started. Right Vernal?". The young woman nodded.

"I had to care for Yang ALL BY MYSELF because you could not be bothered to live a normal life! It was always about having to be stronger than the others, smarter than the others, have the things others had!". Raven managed to get on her knees before Tai did an uppercut. "I had to raise a household by myself! You think that is fair!?".

Before he got any closer, Raven sweep-kicked Tai and he fell. She then got next to him and started punching him while he was down. "Don't think for a moment that you don't know why I left! It's a lost cause! But you insisted on living as if knowing the world could end tomorrow was just a minor thing in your daily routine!".

Tai-Yang then flipped them both and he was now punching her. "Of course, I am worried about that! But Yang was supposed to be our priority above all! She is our daughter!".

Raven managed to kick him off her. When they both stood up, she then rammed into him, making Tai fall on the ground once again. "A baby in the middle of a forest, great idea Tai! That is the best place to raise a baby after all!". And don't give me anything of that crap about being sad after I left. How long was it before you jumped into Summer's pants!?".

While Raven was saying her last taunt, Tai was now resting on his elbows and facing her backward while catching his breath. He then felt a surge of rage and quickly stood and turned around to then ram into her. "I was alone with a daughter! If anything, she was more of a mother to Yang than you'll ever be! Of course, I was going to fall in love with her, you know I had feelings for you both! I wanted to settle down and start a family; just like I understood YOU also wanted… but it doesn't matter. She disappeared one day, never returned and I've been alone with just your brother to keep me company ever since. But what do you care!? I'm sure you just went around telling every other man, woman, or whatever about 'That blond idiot from Patch that thought it was real' right!?". Raven rested on her elbows facing him, but said nothing and just looked away. Tai and Qrow looked at her with curiosity. "Right?" Tai repeated much calmer.

"… I was scared… I was mad you didn't see things like I did… I did sleep with others at first but… it was not the same. I wanted to feel protected and safe; the tribe was the perfect place. Everyone did as I said, I felt free to do things my way… but even then, a small part of me always wondered 'What if?'. But after what happened… I got a cold reminder of reality… I was just running… I'm… sorry".

The yard went silent for a long time. Tai-Yang then walked next to Raven and offered her his arm. She hooked hers with him and then she stood up. "Raven. I'll be honest with you: I'm not sure if I am ready to forgive you. But I am willing to give you a second chance". He then smiled at her before he began to remove the altered punching gloves from his hands. "Now let's head back inside; You still like your burgers well done?".

Raven did feel some relief. "You know what? That would be great" she said before doing the same.

Both women then entered the house before the men. Tai used that time to talk with Qrow. "Have to give it to your tribe, Qrow; this is a very cathartic therapy".

Qrow then began to scratch his head. "Yeah… let's just say this is a very safe version of the real thing". Tai then looked at Qrow with surprise. "Catharsis back then could be achieved by any means necessary. You either solved your differences or cleared one of the nuances".

Before Tai-Yang could question the Branwen tribe's methods even further, they felt a quick but strong enough earthquake to make them fall on the ground. "What was that!?" Tai asked.

Raven and Vernal returned to the backyard and helped the men to get up. A moment later, they then saw a lightning bolt on the distance. "Strange…" Vernal commented. "The weather report said there would be no storms this week…".

* * *

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* * *

_**Chapter played better on my head, but I was already taking too long to update. Other MK good guys in this fic? I don't want to spoil anything.**_

_**Constructive criticism about how the couple dynamic could be better would be much appreciated.**_

_**One internet point for all who guessed that Raven and Vernal were not dead.**_


	21. Chapter 21

_'Heading back to Beacon. Have particularly important news. No relation to THAT other thing. Surprise guest'._

Was the message Qrow wrote on his scroll with the intention of sending it to Ozpin. His sister, however, demanded that a lot of the details remained bogus. On one hand, she was still paranoid that someone working with Seido would recognize her; on the other, she was still not trusting of the wizard nor did she know if he would hold anything against her out of spite for leaving 'his cause'. Despite that, she also knew that he would be the only thing close enough to help against whoever or whatever Seido was. "Ok. Looks good enough, little brother".

Qrow sent the message and both brothers went outside. Raven changed her attire to a white shirt that fitted her, jeans, and black boots. She stepped outside and joined her brother, 'husband' and protégé. "Ok… I'm ready… I think…" She said less than enthusiastically.

"Trust him. Please". His brother said with a hand on her shoulder.

She then turned around to face the other two people present. "Behave yourself," she told Vernal. The girl rolled her eyes but smiled, nonetheless. She then faced Tai and took a deep breath. "Thank you… for everything. And I do mean it". Neither knew what to do now, but Tai-Yang then offered his hand and she shook it. They both knew there was still some ground to cover before things returned to something resembling all those years ago, but they were willing to not push it too hard.

With everything set, both brothers then turned into their respective black birds and flew away. Back on land, Tai and Vernal watched them go. Once they were lost in the sky, Vernal then talked to Tai. "Soooooo… are you making risotto today?".

Tai-Yang rolled his eyes and then sweep-kicked the girl to the ground. When she got up on her elbows, he then offered his hand. "I think we should focus on getting you back in the game. I know Raven will not stop yapping if you suddenly gain weight. You eat more than Yang and Ruby combined! How did you manage to live in the woods!?".

The girl stood up and cleaned herself before answering. "I enjoyed the freedom. But I'd be lying if I said I don't miss the food and commodities of the normal world".

* * *

There was no meeting on Saturday. There was also no meeting on Sunday. Both team JNPR and RWBY would say that it was because of no major developments which, yes, it was true, but also because the enjoyment once felt was getting lost. Pyrrha and Jaune were still on no talking terms, Ren and Nora had learned to be quiet when both their other team members were present knowing that the smallest suggestion could start a chain reaction. Team RWBY was no better; the anger was directed only at Yang, but she had grown tired of the way the others acted towards her. Even worse for her and Jaune was having to act as a couple whenever team KHTE, or Hanzo specifically, were around.

The drama had also pushed both Sun and Neptune as far from Beacon as possible most of the time. Working and surveillance was a better alternative to what was happening.

Some theorized that the souring moods happened because, even though it had been just a couple of days, there was still no answer from both the secret ex-accountant from the SDC and Penny. The most the later ever did was answer with a 'still working on it' twelve hours after being asked for a report.

In the end, Monday afternoon had Ren listening to Yang and Jaune complain about people angry at them, the rest of team RWBY doing nothing on their room waiting to hear back from their collaborators, Pyrrha throwing all of her frustration with Nora in a training room while Sun kept looking around the hotel and Neptune keeping guard on him. That was until they all received a voicemail where Sun was hyperventilating.

_Meeting at eight. It's urgent!_

Was all the message. Knowing Sun was not easy to agitate, everyone was there at the corresponding time and found Neptune patting Sun in the back. Blake then sprinted towards the monkey faunus. "Sun? What happened?" she asked him.

He looked at her and then at the others for a while before speaking again. "Cyborg robots are real!" he said while grabbing Blake by her shoulders "They are monsters! Seido; they don't just do prosthetics… they… they…". The images of what he saw at the health wing of the hotel flashed in front of him as he told everyone what happened.

* * *

Despite Neptune's complaints, Sun worked both Saturday and Sunday and took another shift for Monday morning. A mundane job serving people in a restaurant waiting for evidence against Seido to come was far better than the alternative of dealing with love triangles.

Things were going so well at the restaurant that Mr. Onyx even called Sun for a time-out. "Look, Sun. I know that what I am going to say is going to be weird, but yesterday your shift went without a hitch". Sun indeed looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What I mean is that you are always so playful, cheerful, and I have to stop you from over chatting with the guests. Is everything alright?". Sun sighed and decided to relieve some pent-up emotions with a third party who did not know anything about what was happening leaving out identities and objectives, obviously. "I see. If you ask me, that guy back in Heaven is, indeed, a blind goofball if you ask me. Is there anything else?"

"Weeeeeeell…" truth be told. There had been a second nuance since Saturday.

Maurice, the mouse faunus, had been visiting the restaurant almost every hour to check on with everyone. He had become good friends with Pinky, shared interest in swimwear with Cyan, annoyed Mr. Onyx constantly with the financial situation of the restaurant, but spent most of his time just talking with Sun. First, it was just trivialities about him, then things escalated to exclusive VIP access to The Night Beetle's gym, sauna, massage parlor, and others with Maurice even paying the whole thing. It then escalated to offering a company retreat on the beach where everyone had to use custom-made swimsuits.

Sun had a purpose since day one: Work at The Night Beetle, gather intel and carry out the plans. Maurice was a great boss, but he was now turning into an annoyance since he had moved his laptop to a table on the far end of the dining room to work there for the day and waving on Sun whenever he happened to pass nearby.

"Hello, Sun!" Maurice said from behind both waiters. They both jumped in surprise, considering the HR head was on the other side of the room not so long ago. "Say, it's almost time for lunch; would you mind if I treat you something? I heard you were doing an outstanding job for the last few days!".

Onyx was now getting annoyed, but all in the board of directors didn't seem to care a lot about him, and he hadn't had a chance to talk to Hotaru about the actions of Maurice. "Mr. Feta, would you please stop harassing my employ-".

"Mr. Onyx! May I remind that by Chapter twenty, article five, sub-section thirty-four, paragraph eight, as the head of Human Resources, I can compensate and or punish employees whom I see worthy based on my parameters. Mr. Wu Kong is also on the timeframe for his lunchtime, which as far as I know was set exactly a month and thirteen days ago as 'fifty minutes'. Also, my time here has not jeopardized my work on the company; I would be very glad to show you I have finished my work on time and since I can't leave until my respective hour, I spend my time checking on the staff. Therefore, I am not in violation of any of the hotel's rules" Maurice told the head waiter with a hint of hostility.

"… You could be against the department being 'HUMAN Resources'…".

"I make a six-figure salary. They can call me cheese-muncher and would love it!" he said as he took Sun to his table.

For a long time, Maurice did nothing but stare at Sun with a normal smile. Figuring his boss would not do anything for the moment, Sun decided to start the conversation. "So… you've been very active these past few days. Any special reason?".

Maurice changed his silent smile to a silent surprise for a few seconds before answering. "Oh, no reason, really. Just figured it could help morale in the hotel".

"But… morale has gone up since Mr. Taakoizu returned yesterday…".

"Uh… yeah, but… would you say no to a day on the beach?".

"Well… you got me there". The mouse faunus returned to have a smile on his face; that, in turn, allowed silence to fall on the table again. "Umm… Mr. Feta-".

"Oh, Sun! no need to be so formal. You can just call me Maurice!".

"Yeah, right. Well… Maurice… We have spent ten minutes and we have not ordered anything yet. So…".

"Oh, don't be silly. I prepared this lunch myself! The kitchen will be ready with the plating right about…" Maurice said confidently while looking at his watch with a finger raised. "… any moment now" he said after ten seconds. "aaaaaany moment…" after twenty seconds more. "… I'm sure it will come out soon" thirty seconds. After another minute had passed, he excused himself and ran while cursing in a low voice towards the kitchen.

After Maurice marched into the kitchen, Mr. Onyx arrived next to Sun. "Have to tell you, Sun. I just don't know what happened to that guy. He was nothing like that when he began".

"You mean before or after The Pyramid?".

"Ah. He told you about the incident with the swimsuits".

"During induction. Didn't even hide it".

Their conversation was cut short as Maurice emerged from the kitchen with two waiters and a trolly holding, what he thought was, their food.

"Ah, I see he prepared his 'Famous Passion Heart' soup. He brags about the flavor, but he is just can't handle the plating and decorations. No wonder he bothered the cooks with it".

"Are they using one of the new electric trolleys?".

"Oh yeah, you are right!". The electric trolleys were a new concept of the technology development wing of Seido Industries for The Night Beetle to use. Instead of pushing, dragging, and stopping the cart with the risk of dropping food, the trolley would move at a designated speed with the push of a button and stop when released. Mr. Onyx, however, was not sure the thing was for use in the dining room yet. "I'm don't sure that he, above everyone else, should be using that".

"Oh, come on! He just wants to be nice. Besides, you just need to press a button and steer; how hard could it be?".

"Aaaaand, he just lost control over it…".

"Wait. What?". As soon as Sun turned around again to look at Maurice, he just had a fraction of a second before the trolley crashed into the table; making the soups fall all over Sun.

All staff present went to help them. Sun got up cursing about the burns the soups made on his chest and shoulders, so he immediately removed the top part of his uniform and waited for the cooks to get him ice. Maurice, on the other hand, seemed to be buried under the table and the trolly. When the others managed to pull him out, everything seemed good until he noticed everyone looking at him with horror. "Uh… what is it…?". Mr. Onyx pointed towards Maurice's arm. "My arm? What is wrong with it? I don't feel anything wrong with- Oh, right. It's not supposed to bend in that direction…". Indeed, Maurice's left elbow and shoulder were both dislocated. "But wait… Oh no! what happened to Sun!?".

"I'm ok. But you are not, Man!" Sun yelled from behind Maurice.

The mouse faunus sighed in relief and turned around to face his employee. "Thank goodness. I thought you…" he stopped midsentence and just stared at Sun in complete silence.

"Yo! Maurice! You alright?". Sun asked now really concerned about the other man. Maurice's left eye then began to twitch for a few seconds before he fell into convulsions for a short time before passing out. Within a minute, Sun and a now unconscious Maurice were being taken to the medical facilities.

* * *

"Thankfully, you removed your wet clothes fast enough. Your burns are not so serious and with your aura doing most of the job, you'll be good as new in about five minutes". A random doctor in his mid-thirties with a short beard told Sun who was sitting on a consulting bed. "If anything, it'll take longer for laundry to clean your uniform".

"Thanks, Doc. But… what about Maurice?". The doctor then looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I mean… Mr. Feta".

"I already told you, Sun. He has to be seen by the doctors on the other side of the aisle".

"But you could have also fixed his arm and helped him wake up. What gives?".

"Look, I don't know. But orders from the presidency are that he is one of Dr. Oniro's exclusive patients. But I can assure you, he'll be fine". An alarm went off on the doctor's desk and he rolled his chair towards it. "Oh now. It's time for my lunch with my wife… Sun you will be ok, just wait for your uniform and you'll be free. And don't worry about Maurice!" the doctor said as he changed from his white coat to a leather jacket.

Sun was left alone in the room, but everything about what just had happened bothered him. He and Maurice arrived on wheelchairs, but just as the elevator opened on the medical floor, Maurice was taken away by a pale man with black hair in the form of a short ponytail, long sideburns, and a goatee. 'We'll take care of Mr. Feta' the man said and took his wheelchair without facing any opposition.

Sun was not convinced that the special treatment was because of his position; so, he decided to investigate what about Maurice was so special to these doctors. He got off from the bed and opened the door to find the empty aisle and the lone door on the other side of his. Fortunately, the door was unlocked, and he opened it slowly.

"Radical hormonal shifts seem to be, again, the cause of malfunctions this time. Is the update available already?" Sun heard Dr. Oniro say to a communication device. "Fine! I'll go get it myself… Yes, the subject is just 'resting', hehe. I'll take the direct route; wait for me".

Sun waited until he heard a mechanical door close. He entered the room, and even though it was pitch black, his faunus vision left him in horror. He was surrounded by various body parts; eyeballs, hearts, lungs, intestines, tongues, and brains, to name a few, were located on shelves. Worse was that at the end of the hall were two headless semi-naked bodies on a chair; one male and one female with the male one missing the left arm. Sun noticed there was no bleeding before getting close. He was then able to see wires coming from both necks and followed them to the shelve on the right finding the decapitated heads of Maurice and a girl with freckles and brown hair. On closer inspection, he now saw their skulls open and their brains suspended on the air with even more wires connecting them to the heads.

Sun then stepped close to the female head and read what the screen was showing.

_Cottonfield, Carmen._

_Artificial memory implant at 52%._

So distracted was Sun that he never noticed Maurice's body reaching for his tail. When the headless corpse grabbed and pulled the tail, it made Sun jump, but he thankfully kept the scream down. He then kicked the hand and flipped back while assuming a fighting pose. "Who's there!?" he heard Maurice ask with fear.

Everything in this room was becoming worse by the minute for Sun; now the decapitated and brainless head of Maurice was talking. The head then looked to its left and saw Sun. "Oh, Sun; it's you!" the head claimed happily before his expression changed to panic. "Oh no! don't look, I'm not fully dressed, how embarrassing…" Maurice's head said with a light blush. His expression then changed again to a more serious one as he noticed something. "Wait… you are not authorized to be here… you are breaking the rules!".

Sun didn't know what to make of this situation, but he did know that alerting security was the least he wanted right now. "Yes… I am here… because I was worried about what would happen to you!".

Maurice's face then changed once again to one of surprise and then of happiness. "You… mean that? You care about me?".

Truth be told, he was more scared, but this seemed to be the Maurice he had known since his interview. "Of course, I do. But… what happened?" Sun asked while pointing at his own body.

Maurice's head just looked at Sun with confusion. "I don't know what you are talking about. I've been like this for a long time".

"Well… what about her?".

"Oh! Carmen. Poor thing. It took Dr. Oniro ages to rebuild her. 'Not enough fleshy parts' he said. He's a funny guy". Maurice then became serious once again "You should not be here though… you are breaking rules about areas you can access to".

"No, no, no! I swear I am just here because I care about… your best interest…".

Maurice was happy once again "So… you are interested in me?".

"YES!" Sun said wanting to get out of the horror factory he was currently in. "And something bad could happen to me if you tell Dr. Oniro I was here".

"But… Seido Industries wouldn't hurt you…".

"But would you risk it?".

Maurice was not sure what to do now. But he then felt vibrations. "Ok! I won't tell anyone you were here Sun! If that makes you happy, then I am happy. Now go! The doctor is coming back!".

"Thank you so much!" Sun managed to say as he left the room quietly and then running to the other medical room. When the room closed, he dropped his body over the bed and began to take deep breaths.

"Sun Wukong!" A female voice yelled behind him making him fall from the bed. "Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were asleep" An old spider faunus woman said while holding his uniform. "the restaurant says you can leave early if you wish".

"No, no! No need, I'm always ready to serve!". Sun told her while taking his uniform. Right now, his biggest fear was acting strangely and making staff suspicious and getting him and Maurice in trouble.

"Ok then, honey. Get to the restaurant whenever you are ready".

* * *

The rest of Sun's shift went without a hitch. He was relieved when he saw Maurice checking on everyone without being to intrusive this time and no one in security asked him anything. Once night fell, he got changed and managed to send a voice message to everyone.

_Meeting at eight. It's urgent!_

He and the rest of the employees got to the streets, but he was frozen in fear when he felt a hand oh his shoulder. Sun turned around and found Maurice with a smile on his face.

The mouse faunus, however, noticed Sun's reaction. "Sun is everything ok?".

"Yeah, yeah, no problems here!".

"Are you sure you don't hate me because of… 'it'?" Maurice asked with concern.

"What, no. Maurice, I don't hate you. It's who you are and… I… like you that way…?".

Maurice was smiling again and stopped Sun once he started walking away again. "Well Sun, you see… the guys were talking about going to a bar, and I thought maybe you would like to-".

"Sun! There you are, I was growing worried!". A boy with blue hair and googles of around Sun's age yelled from across the street.

"Oh, Neptune! I was just leaving". He then noticed the surprise on Maurice's eyes. "Oh! Uh… Maurice, this is my partner, Neptune. Nep, he is the head of HR, Maurice Feta".

Neptune played it cool and went to shake Maurice's hand. Maurice stared at it for a while before reciprocating the shake. "Your partner… my pleasure…".

"Well, I would like to stay and chat, but we really need to go Sun".

"Oh! Yeah! Bye Maurice. Say goodbye to everyone on my part! I'll take tomorrow off, see you on Wednesday!".

Maurice saw the two 'partners' going until Pinky got his attention. "So, to recap: We'll get to the bar and we'll each pretend to have an emergency. You'll then have the whole table for you and Sun to-".

"Forget it Pinky. He already has someone…".

Pinky sighed. "I told you. He is young and good-looking; he was bound to be taken. Sorry, little buddy. The plan is over guys!".

Maurice felt a lot of things at that moment; but all of those were derivative of one thing: betrayal and a feel to make the monkey faunus pay for playing with his feelings.


	22. Chapter 22

It was lunchtime at Beacon. Nothing out of the ordinary for every student. So much so that a corvid and a crow went unnoticed when arriving at the entrance to Ozpin's tower. They morphed into their human forms once again and hid behind one of the pillars in the courtyard. Qrow then fixed his appearance before addressing his sister. "Ok… I will go up there and smooth things up a little. Here is a burner scroll, I'll tell you when you can enter".

Raven knew they had gone over this many times before, but she still felt cold feet abut meeting her former teacher and boss again. "Raven, I promise you it'll all be alright," He told her with a hand over her shoulder. All she could think about was how a tragedy of such magnitude was finally able to bring both twins together again.

With their pep talk over, Qrow proceeded to enter the building and towards Ozpin's office. Raven was left on the courtyard for the time, so she decided to look around and see what changed since the last time she was here. But that proved a mistake when she saw the brandings of the bullheads parked on the landing platforms. At that moment, she did not care about further feelings of betrayal, she only wanted to get out of Beacon as soon as possible.

* * *

Qrow went over his report repeatedly while on the elevator. 'Seido Industries are bad, I have Raven as my witness, get her security, and plan an assault. Easy'. The door opened after a while; he took a breath and entered the room. "Oz, Glynda, you may want to sit down; this one is heavy. Amber may have to-".

"Qrow! So nice to see you again so soon!" his boss immediately stopped him. "We have guests".

Confused, Qrow turned to his left and saw a creepy bald guy with thick glasses, a young man with a chauffer's uniform, and the white-haired businessman man himself, Hotaru Taakoizu, sitting on the guest's chair with a wrist holder on his right instead of a cast. While the chauffer just snarled at him, he was able to notice the surprise on the bald man and Hotaru spitting his coffee back to the mug.

Ignoring everything that just happened, Ozpin continued with the introductions. "Qrow, this is Hotaru Taakoizu, his assistant Ryu Jin and the head of their accounting department, Mr. Ko Naknada. Everyone, this is one of my closest allies, Qrow Branwen".

At the mention of the name, all three men then looked at Qrow with a mixture of anger and disgust. Hotaru then stood up and walked towards the coffee machine and passing next to Qrow on his way there. "So… Raven's brother, I presume?".

"Twin to be more precise. How did you guess?"

"She assaulted me and left me with this" he said while raising his arm and showing his wrist holder. "Doing some recognizance on her would be an obvious choice for my safety. Especially since I'm sure she will return for me or my employees".

"Return?" Qrow asked.

"From the short time I was with her, I could tell she is a proud woman with a big ego. I don't think she would appreciate neither my escape nor one of her own betraying her" he said while taking a sip.

Qrow had to give the guy props for playing a perfect poker face. Had he not seen his sister and heard her tale, he would have bought every sentence from this man. But he trusted his sister's version of the events. "I don't know, man. My sister is kind of a one deal woman, I'd be surprised if she spent any more time in you".

"Believe me, Mr. Branwen. I still remember how the criminal mind works. If anything, the only surprise is that you are the Branwen twin talking with me right now".

"Sorry? Care to explain yourself there?".

"My time with your sister showed her as an organizer. The only source of authority in that camp. She understands the need for a hierarchy and a well-thought plan of attack. She is observant, quick-thinking, and well-advised besides having physical abilities that place her above her subordinates. You, on the other hand…" he said before he began to walk around Qrow. "Your physical appearance and the state of your clothes suggests you are constantly outside of civilization and on the move. I was also able to smell the stench of alcohol from a distance; that and the previous information tells me that you do not care about your appearance or how others see you. Furthermore, your factions suggest this lifestyle has been going on for quite a time now and living with someone daily would force you to change some of your self-destructive habits so I guess that you are also a loner. To work as a close ally of Professor Ozpin, easily one of the most powerful men on Remnant, my guess is that someone like your sister would be a better fit. As opposed to a drunk lose canon who is more likely to end his life in a bar fight due to being broke at closing time".

"If you have a problem with me, pal. Just say it!" Qrow told the man as he was now face to face with Hotaru.

"I do. Your self-destructive lifestyle means that you are also more than reliant on the wrong side of the law for more than just information, making you a wild card that could turn on his superiors at any moment. She was the golden child, and she turned into a potential terrorist; what could one assume of you, her, obviously underachieving brother".

"Mr. Taakoizu!" Ozpin yelled from behind his desk. "Qrow Branwen is one of my closest allies and he has never done anything that could be harmful to me or my school! Please, refrain from talking to him like that again!".

Hotaru looked at the headmaster and then at the disapproving eyes of Ryu. He then took a deep breath and proceeded to defuse the situation. "My apologies headmaster. I also apologize to you, Mr. Branwen. My time with your sister was… I would rather not talk about it".

Qrow almost scuffed at his performance, but he knew better than to suggest something different. "Apology accepted".

Glynda then walked to stand next to Ozpin. "So, Mr. Taakoizu. You were telling us about helping the schools?".

"Say what now?" Qrow asked.

"Yes, Miss Goodwitch. I already went through a brief description of the main idea with general Ironwood; but the basic idea is that Seido Industries is willing to supply all four academies with dust, weapons, state of the art technology, and more, to fight the Grimm". The Naknada pulled out a Zaphyre and a lengthy exposition was shown, giving glimpses at future weapons, armors, daily gadgets, transportation, scholarships, and more. After a while, The device was finally turned off.

Qrow placed his fingers under his chin and answered the businessman's proposal. "Sounds nice. But what is it in for you. Where are the profits? I know companies love them".

Hotaru looked at Qrow with no discernible emotion for a moment before addressing Ozpin once again. "I was hoping to talk about this alone with the headmaster".

Ozpin looked at Qrow and saw him staring at Hotaru with obvious mistrust. "Mr. Taakoizu, I don't believe that what you have to say can't be heard by Glynda and Qrow".

"Very well…" Hotaru said as he sat down once again. "It's… about something I learned about while a prisoner at the Branwen camp…". Ozpin nodded and then took a sip from his mug. "Headmaster… are you familiar with the tale of the seasons and the maidens?".

Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow felt like time had suddenly slowed down; but managed to keep up their cover. "… Yes… it's common folklore".

"Indeed… but… do you also know the one about… what was it… the war between a witch and a… sorcerer… magician… wizard, I believe?". All three representatives of Seido smirked when they saw the faces of disbelief on the others present. "Before you try to deny it, headmaster; my conversation with Miss Branwen turned very informative," Hotaru told them. "I was also on the front row as I saw her use what she referred to as 'the powers of a maiden'. Complete control over the elements? I know that is something no mere mortal can do; no semblance can give a person control over more than one element". Hotaru then raised his left hand. "Mr. Naknada, would you please?".

The man in green then stepped forward and handed Hotaru a folder. "From what little is known about you, headmaster. One thing is certain: your cane is a fine piece of old craftsmanship". He then pulled some photos of many different men holding the same cane contraption that Ozpin used. "Many different brave men. Different race, age, class, nationality… yet all driven with the desire to unite all of Remnant against the Grimm…".

"So, you think I am part of some sort of conspiracy theory?" Ozpin asked managing to hide his fear.

"I don't think so, headmaster. I know. She, someone who was once a close ally to you, like her brother is right now, referred to you by name". Qrow and Glynda were ready to take out their weapons but were stopped when Hotaru continued. "But I want to assure you, Ozpin," he said as he stood up. "Our intention is not to fight you…" he then stood up and walked towards the window facing the landing docks before speaking again. "The world is a dangerous place; and we must all do our part to save it. Isn't that right, headmaster?" Hotaru finally asked while extending his hand to Ozpin.

Ozpin looked at the man's hand for a moment before looking at Glynda and Qrow; the first still puzzled by what she just heard, and the second looking at Hotaru with skepticism. "I am sorry Mr. Taakoizu; but I must insist that I don't know what you are talking about," he told the other man while also pretending to find what Hotaru said humorously.

The businessman retracted his arm and took a deep breath. "Of course, you don't headmaster. Trust is not so easily earned after all, but I insist on offering our cooperation". He then snapped his left fingers and the Naknada pulled a flash drive from his pocket; he then placed the artifact on the table and all three men went for the elevator. "Oh, I forgot. I'll be meeting another of the headmasters soon; Professor Lionheart. I'll send him your regards" Hotaru managed to say as the doors closed.

Qrow then instantly sent a message to his sister warning her to hide as Ozpin and Glynda began to discuss the result of their meeting.

"How could they have possibly known so much?" Glynda asked. "The amount of information they also gathered… do you think they plan to use it against us?".

"I don't know. But From what I saw in Qrow, I know we should not trust them". Both teachers then turned to look at the other man. "Care to tell us why you don't trust these strangers?".

"I have a better person for that, Oz. But before that, she has a lot to explain about keeping key info…".

Qrow knew of Raven's escape, but he had more than a bone to pick since she had, conveniently, left out the part where she had the power of one of the four maidens. Nonetheless, he at least trusted her enough as to not do something foolish like running away when she noticed Seido was at Beacon.

* * *

"I have to get out of here!" Raven told herself as she entered the main school buildings. It was good that not much had changed since she had been a student. And if she were right, she would be entering the courtyard at lunchtime.

Beacon had been compromised, and she had to get away fast. Her plan was simple: Find a sword-like object, get to Vernal, and run away for good. She saw a random student carrying a sword perfect for her, but then her paranoia kicked in. 'If I fight them, I'll cause a commotion, other members of the faculty will see me or identify me, Qrow will reveal it was me, Seido will know I am alive!'. Her panic then grew even more when she saw students leaving the cafeteria. She decided to then hide and wait for everyone to leave, but then she saw a student who had two katanas on his back.

He talked with his team for a moment before heading towards the classrooms, which was perfect for Raven. She would be able to steal at least one of the swords from him without the boy even noticing at a place that should be empty at this time of the day. As soon as there was enough distance between him and the rest of his team, Raven began to follow the boy's movements.

His journey was not an interesting one. He stopped to read the news board, went to tie his shoe, checked a message on his scroll, dropped his swords for a moment as he then went to drink some water from a faucet, and then he finally arrived at the lockers where he stored them and kept walking on a direction opposite to Raven's. Once she considered he was far away enough, she then tried to force the locker. Seeing as how they upgraded the models; she was then ready to melt it open and run for it before she was caught. She stopped, however, when a soft sound from behind her caught her attention. She managed to jump back just as a spear got stuck on the door a few inches away from where her head was. She then turned around and saw the boy retrieving his spear thanks to a chain attached to it.

"Give me a good reason as to why I shouldn't end you here and now" he demanded from her.

Raven sighed and then answered. "Look kid, I don't want to hurt you. Just give me one of your swords and no one has to know about this…" she then saw the name on the locker and addressed the boy by name. "… Hanzo".

Not afraid of her, Hanzo merely took a fighting stance. "You threaten me, woman!?". He then saw Raven assume a fighting stance as well but without a weapon. As far as he knew, every person in this universe had one. "Aren't you going to draw your weapon?". She tried to show no emotion, but he could tell she was worried about her lack of a said weapon. Hanzo then placed the spear back on his belt and took his stance once again. "Very well. There is no honor in fighting unevenly".

As soon as Hanzo went quiet, both then ran towards each other; and just as Raven was about to deliver a kick, Hanzo disappeared in a cloud of fire. Immediately after, she felt a punch to the back of her head and then fell face-first into the ground. She managed to quickly recover and saw her opponent on the other side of the hall. "Ok, then. I see you are more troublesome than expected". She then jumped in the air and landed a roundhouse kick which he blocked. She then swipe-kicked him and made Hanzo lose balance; he did not fall, but his defense was broken. She then grabbed him by the head and slammed it against the lockers. He then fell to the ground but saw as Raven jumped in the air once again intending to deliver a punch to his face. He rolled over, got on his feet, and delivered an uppercut which was followed by a kick to her stomach.

Raven flew backward a few feet but recovered mid-air and saw as Hanzo charged towards her again. This time, however, she blocked his incoming punches and kicks before grabbing him by the waist and backward slammed him on the ground. When Hanzo got up, he then saw Raven running on the direction they originally came from. He was puzzled at first but then noticed his spear was missing.

He ran in her direction and once they were in a straight hall, he used his semblance to get in front of her. But she proceeded to block his attacks once more. She evaded a direct punch to her face and used the chain of the spear to tie his wrist. She then pulled the chain, making him lose his balance and tied his other wrist behind his back along with the other one. They both panted for a moment before Raven spoke again. "I have to give it to you, kid. You are good. This thing is not my ideal blade, but it'll have to do" she said as she was ready to use the spear for her semblance.

"Wait!" Hanzo yelled. "I surrender. You win this fight". He said as he bowed his head.

"Surrender? Look, kid, I have no time for this ok?".

"I don't care. I just needed to distract you until he arrived".

"What!?" Raven managed to yell as she turned around and saw one of Hanzo's teammates on the other side of the hall blasting a blue projectile towards her. Raven was frozen on her upper body and then Hanzo swipe-kicked her, Making Raven fall on the ground and shatter her prison. The other boy then blasted her again with a stronger ice blast which froze all but her head. The boy helped untie Hanzo and both boys were now standing next to Raven.

"Took you long enough, Kuai Liang". Hanzo told the other boy.

"I had to make sure she was distracted".

Raven was annoyed by the fact that two teenagers managed to defeat her. Her expression turned into concern when both boys stood next to her with emotionless faces. Kuai Liang then showed her his open palm and spoke to her. "Why did you attack my friend?" he asked as an ice spike emerged from his hand. "And answer with honesty".

Her concern turned into surprise because of the absolute coldness and seriousness with which Kuai Liang spoke. Nonetheless, she did not show any fear. "None of your business, now let me-" Raven stopped mid-sentence as the spike got longer and was now pressing on her neck.

"I asked you a question" Kuai Liang repeated.

Raven's world had turned upside down since when were huntsmen in training so calm about taking another human's life? Some third years got their first kills on missions, yes; but first-years? "Ok, ok, calm down snow-boy". She said hoping the boys would release her. "Look, I genuinely want no trouble, I just need a blade to get out of here, ok? I saw he had two swords and wanted to take one; I want nothing to do with you, Beacon, or anything like that".

Both Hanzo and Kuai Liang looked at each other. "I'll take care of her," Kuai Liang said. He then broke her prison and helped her stand up. He then froze her hands on the front. "I still have more questions. Answer them correctly and I'll help you" he told her.

Raven felt humiliated by the way a teenager treated her like a prisoner. But there was nothing she could do now.

As soon as they were leaving, all three heard an echo coming from another hall cursing out loud. "Great. Sounds like Xiao Long again. How many more times do I have to see her in my life". Hanzo commented with annoyance.

"Xiao Long!? As in Yang Xiao Long!?" Raven asked the boys. They in turn just nodded. "Come on, Scarface; move!". Raven knew she was not ready to face her daughter; not that she even wanted to at this moment. Her plan was beyond ruined right now and having another person know she was here was just more bad news. Before she left, however, she turned and faced Hanzo one last time. "Please, don't tell her about this!".

Hanzo was ready to dismiss her request, but he saw something in her eyes. She was asking him this favor. He looked at Kuai Liang for a second opinion and the boy nodded in approval of Raven's request. Soon they both continued their way outside and when they turned at a corner, Yang arrived at the hall.

She kept mumbling for a moment until she saw Hanzo; but instead of awkwardly explaining herself to him, she just rolled her eyes and kept walking. "Out of my way!" she told him when passing next to him. Hanzo then saw she was carrying a black wig.

"I don't think that one will fit you". Hanzo said trying to lift the mood.

Yang stopped walking and took one big deep breath. After she exhaled, she responded to his comment. "It's not for me. It's for Weiss. It was getting dirty and I washed it for her" she told him before resuming her trail.

Hanzo knew better than to get involved in what was not his business. But as a teacher, he hated seeing promising students failing because of little things; and RWBY's fallout was more than noticeable to everyone. So, against his better judgment, he followed her. "And you are angry because she asked you a favor?".

"No. I'm angry because they still won't let it go!".

"Let what go?" he pressed on.

Yang knew better than to acknowledge the spying and the fake relationship. But she also knew he was going to make her crack if she refused to answer. "Look. I did something, it blew up in my face and now they are angry with me! You don't need to stick your nose further than that".

"Fair enough. And they have not accepted your apology?".

"Wow, wow, wow. I never said I had to apologize! I did it for a good cause and they refuse to see that!".

"Aaah. There is your problem".

Yang then stopped walking and looked at the boy with pure indignation. "You think I should apologize!".

Hanzo had been down this road countless times. Though, thankfully, Takeda was always a good and obedient boy at least. "Let me tell you a story that master Feher once told my team on a similar situation: The Kumosei".

* * *

_There once was a village on an extremely hot and dry valley. Under natural circumstances, the village should not have been able to grow its crops, but it was under the care of a family of cloud spirits, known as the Kumosei who set upon themselves the labor of helping the farmers as a reward for them welcoming the father years ago._

_For many years, the Kumosei brought clouds, rain, snow, and sunny days to the villagers; but one daughter, Kori, saw that snow was loved by the children of the village. When it snowed, children played, adults wore their colorful clothes and then they all stayed warm at home drinking and eating warm meals._

_Kori convinced her family to allow her control over the clouds as they took a time off, and made it snow constantly. At first, she thought everything was fine, but when her family returned, she was scolded like never by everyone for daring to break the cycle that was established._

_At first, Kori was enraged with her family who refused to see the beauty of snow. She gave them their powers back but refused to lift the eternal winter only to prove that the villagers would always be thankful for her gift._

_She hid in the town as a traveler and felt proud to see the villagers enjoy the days of snow. But whenever she looked at the sky, all she could see was the disappointment in the eyes of her family. After a few days, her rage towards their indifference only grew. Weeks then passed, and Kori discovered that the villagers were starting to leave because the snow had made it impossible to live._

_Kori then understood, that while her intentions to make the villagers happy were good, by doing so she had doomed the village to extinction._

_Ashamed of her actions, she lifted her spell but did not return to her family out of shame. Instead, she gave away her powers and decided to live in exile among the mortals. Years passed and when she returned, the village was now a lake with a continuous storm. Only the rotten roofs of some houses showed proof that people once lived there._

_Kori saw her family sitting on the edge of a cloud; their faces sick and deformed with almost no life. She ran and called their names for a long time until they finally saw her, and the storm stopped. Their tired bodies then fell from the sky and landed next to her. They explained that her spell was lifted, but the sadness in their hearts when they discovered that Kori was gone forever clouded their powers and manifested as an eternal rain._

_In tears, Kori apologized for both the eternal winter and running away. Her family accepted the apology and hugged her one last time asking for her to forgive their coldness towards her. When she did, her family dissipated into the air._

_The clouds dissipated as well, and for the very first time in many years, flowers blossomed, and life returned to the valley._

* * *

Hanzo finished his tale and looked at Yang who was just twirling the wig.

"Are you done with storytime, book-worm? What do cloud ghosts have to do with my team being how they are?" she asked with a bored tone. Hanzo sighed in defeat before he was hit on the face with the wig. "Just messing with you! Yeah, I understand. I'm Kori and they don't want me to go away or to try and fix everything my way. They just want me to own my mistakes and know that I am sorry for what happened. I also need to descale this before it grows out of hand".

Hanzo at first was confused. But then it hit him that the lesson had worked. "Precisely," he told her.

"You know what, ponytail? You helped me learn something today. Thanks". Yang recovered her wig and continued her journey. Hanzo just stayed behind, feeling like a grandmaster for the first time in many days.

* * *

Raven and Kuai Liang arrived at the rooftop on the building. He decided that it would be an ideal spot with the other students not using their free time in that building, and much less getting to the top of it. Raven sat over a ventilation box while Kuai Liang stood in front of her.

"You said you want to get out of here. Why not leave the same way you came?" He asked her.

"It's a matter of time. I have a risk of getting discovered. With a sword, that would not be the case".

"I am to assume you are afraid of the headmaster then. Only an enemy of his would fear being discovered by him. Therefore, you are my enemy; and I'll take you to him".

Raven scoffed. "Please, I was supposed to meet him in the first place".

Kuai Liang did not hide his confusion but then decided to change his approach. "Very well then, I'll take you to him as you wanted".

Noticing her mistake, Raven stopped him. "No! Look… kid… ugh! This was a mistake!".

Kuai Liang was now getting annoyed. "Tell the truth, now!".

Raven huffed. "Look, I came here because I trusted someone, but the fellows over at Seido Industries? They are not as nice as you may think!".

'She has made contact with them?' Kuai Liang asked himself.

"Right now, I bet their precious boss is sweet-talking Ozpin, and whatever comes out of that deal, will only mean trouble".

"You don't trust his judgment then?".

"Absolutely not!".

"Then why did you come here to speak with him?".

'Shit!' raven thought. She walked right into that one. "Because… someone convinced me. But I don't trust that person anymore".

"So, you trusted this person enough to get here, yet you are willing to believe he will betray you along with the headmaster?".

"He already abandoned me once only to follow him; so yes, I can believe it".

"I see… someone close to you… lover?". It was quick but he was able to see the disgust in Raven's face. "Ah, family".

"Fine! Brother! Happy now?". She waited for more questions. But they never came. She looked at the boy and strangely enough, all she could see was sadness.

"My guess is that he cares about you enough to bring you here by your own will. The fact that you are not with him right now means he is trying to make things easier with the headmaster. You say that Seido would mean trouble for you, yet I don't see their security looking for you. Does this sound like your brother is willing to betray you?".

"And what would you know?".

"Because I too had a brother. And I know what that kind of betrayal is". While there were no tears, Raven was able to see the sadness grow. "It took only a moment, and the man I admired for so many years became an unrecognizable monster willing to end my life without remorse".

They were taken out of their conversation when a loud ringing noise was heard. Raven looked down at her left pocket. "It's my scroll". Kuai Liang approached her and took out the device. Seeing as it was blocked, Raven continued. "I am not unlocking it for you".

Kuai Liang then broke the cuffs and gave her the device. She then was able to see the new message alert, unlock the scroll, and read what it said.

_Seido Ind. are here. Five minutes elevator ride. They don't know you are here. Hide behind the building until they leave and come up in five._

_Oz doesn't know you are here. Convinced him they are bad news._

Kuai Liang managed to read the text from behind her; but surprisingly, she did not seem to mind. "Seems I was right. He could be trusted". More than him being right, she hated being wrong.

As Raven was now putting the scroll back in her pocket, she heard a crackling noise and swishes behind her. She then turned and saw Kuai Liang make an ice sword before sticking it to the ground. She looked at him not understanding what was happening. "I now know you were telling the truth and that you also mean no harm to me or my allies, but I can't tell you what to do. Should you go to your brother or use this sword for your purpose, only you can make the choice". With that said, Kuai Liang left the rooftop.

Raven remained there thinking for a long while until she saw the bullheads leaving the platforms in front of Ozpin's tower. She sighed and hoped to not be making the wrong choice.

* * *

The elevator's doors opened and allowed Raven to enter Ozpin's office. It was ironic, the office was a giant clock mechanism, yet time had not passed in this place; it looked exactly as it did almost two decades ago. Needless to say, Glynda gave her a deadly glare, but Ozpin seemed calm and, dare she even say, glad to see her. The silence that followed felt eternal, but Raven decided to take a seat.

Ozpin then took a sip from his mug before finally speaking. "It has been so long Raven. I know you are not glad about this arrangement, but Qrow tells me there are urgent matters at hand other than…" he stopped to take a quick breath before continuing. "… that… If it is any consolation to you, I apologize for making you carry this burden".

Unexpectedly, Qrow placed another mug full of coffee next to her. A peace offering most likely. "I'll help you with Seido. But I still want nothing to do with Salem" she said firmly.

The disappointment on Ozpin's face was obvious. "Very well. You help us with Seido, and you'll have a new life without me or my business".

The ambient in the room felt relaxed for the first time and Raven even went on to drink from her coffee. Qrow then walked to stand behind her before speaking. "So, Raven; my first and second questions are: For how long you have had the powers of the spring maiden, and when where you going to tell us?".

The room fell into complete silence after Raven spitted out all the coffee on her mouth.

* * *

Ryu opened the door of the limousine so that Hotaru and Kollector could enter The Night Beetle through the main doors. He then gave the keys to ballet parking before joining the other two.

Everything was going normally, every employee bowed and saluted them as they passed by, some of the guests waved at him, Kollector told him of the latest reports, a bell hoper gave him a special package from the technology department of Seido Industries and no members of any crime syndicate could be found. Everything was going according to schedule until he noticed two Naknada arguing with each other. Once they saw Hotaru and Kollector, the ran towards them and began to speak to the later in their native tongue.

"Montek kappar num artekkan" one said.

"Kokor nu Lionheart naannka to. Meek nott pursuu" the other continued.

"Sootoo, kokor pakka trikanta" the first one said again.

"KASSIE!" Kollector yelled.

"Kollector, what is going on!?" Hotaru demanded to know.

"My lord, they say that there are three strangers upstairs that want to talk with you in your office…" Kollector explained.

"I have no meetings today. So why were they even allowed to go there?".

The other Naknada hid behind Kollecor as he explained. "They… have all of Lionheart's credentials…".

Both Ryu and Hotaru were visibly angry. But before anything happened, the elevator opened, and Maurice fell on the floor. When he looked up, he saw Hotaru's face. "Mr. Taakoizu, I swear I told them to leave, but they have all headmaster Lionheart's authorizations. He is not with them, and I told them you were not here, but they insist-".

"Shut it, twerp!" The voice of a young man told Maurice.

Everyone then looked at the three occupants of the elevator. A pale young man with silver hair, a dark-skinned girl with green hair, and a pale woman with black hair.

"Sorry that it took so long for us to meet, Firefly," the woman said. "For now, call me… Black Queen".


	23. Chapter 23

Once again, Hotaru had underestimated the lowlifes of this world. In the past, he had considered this woman as 'a meaningless anarchist'. With her dust supply cut and her White Fang friends currently in the Kahn wars, everyone thought she would be gone for a long time before trying something again. Yet here she stood; in the middle of his lobby, with her lackeys behind her and with some of his employees cowering behind him. "Get out of my sight, woman". He told her.

"Now, I am no expert, but this is not how negotiations go" she told him with a confident and mocking tone.

Hotaru then walked forward to stand right in front of her. "Get. Out. Now!". Her expression did not change, however.

"Not until we settle a few things".

A few of the guests passing next to them started to notice that he was not having a pleasant chat. "Get out or I'll have security-".

"Security? Oh! You mean OUR security". Hotaru, Ryu and Kollector looked at her with confusion, but then noticed they were being surrounded by their own security guards. "My, my, robot guards? When are they going on sale?".

All three men were willing to attack; but seeing how they were being watched by other guests now, they decided to play along with her intentions. "Maurice!" Hotaru called. "Tell Onyx to prepare the Ram Room". The mouse faunus was shivering, but he then bowed and went into the elevator. Within ten minutes, the room was ready, and everyone entered the elevator after Hotaru ordered Marin to leave his post.

The woman and her goons stood at one side of the elevator while Hotaru and his associates were on the other. Once the elevator was far enough from the lobby, he decided to question their 'guest'. "What did you do to them?".

The woman just smiled and answered him. "Now why would I tell you my secrets?".

Feeling as nothing would be achieved right now, Hotaru and the others remained silent until they reached their destination. Once at the restaurant, everyone then made their way to the Ram Room.

* * *

The room was of an overly simplistic design. The square business-like black table and chairs were at the center of the room, the table had an abstract of the front view of a ram's head while the chairs had a side view. The ceiling had circular lights and the sides of the chimney were shaped like spirals. Modern paintings of the animal were hanged on the wall and a vase with the abstract picture of the ram sat in the middle of the table. There were no windows on the other side of the room and the only light source where the bright white lightbulbs.

Hotaru and Kollector sat on one side of the table while the woman and her two companions sat on the other. The silver-haired man then wasted no time putting his feet on the table while the girl checked something on her scroll before whispering in the woman's ear. Like always, Ryu sat on the cupboard close to the door. "Hey, busboy!" the silver man yelled at Ryu. "Be a good boy and bring us some snacks and drinks. We'll be here for a while" he said with a smug tone as he got comfortable on his chair.

Ryu, in return, growled and balled his fist while also severely scratching the table. Hotaru then went on to reprimand the other man. "I would appreciate it if you discipline your children, madam. And I would also appreciate it for you to respect my employees!".

Surprisingly, this seemed to be the first thing they both agreed on. "Mercury; be more like Emerald and behave yourself. Sorry for any inconvenience, sir" she said the last part while looking at Ryu. With the situation a bit calmer, the woman went on to present everyone. "Nice to meet you, I am Cinder Fall, and this are my associates: Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black" she said while the girl ignored them, being more interested in her scroll, and the boy gave one wave with his hand. "We would also like to have your boss here with us; so please, call him".

Hotaru didn't say anything. He just looked at the woman constantly. After a long silence, he talked. "You come here uninvited, you insult and abuse my employees, you threaten us in our territory, and you think you get to order every one of us around? Lord Onaga above all!?" He almost yelled at her.

Cinder's expression did not change after his outburst. She just looked as confident. "It's for the better. I have a remarkably interesting business proposal".

Hotaru scoffed at her. "Really? Last I checked you lost Roman and Junior, your newest associates are rotting in a cell and the White Fang is more interested in their 'Kahn Wars' over at Vacuo. What could you possibly offer us?".

"Mercury?" Cinder said not looking at her goon. The man then took out a scroll and reproduced a random audio clip.

_'Faster. Bigger. Better. They know it… do you?_

_The Zaphyre. From Seido Industries. Your future is better now'._

All three men felt shivers. That was the audio of a promotional video still in development; the tag line was also a corporate secret meant to be used for the launch of the Zaphyre. "You hacked us…" Hotaru whispered.

"Not only that," she said cutting him off. It took us some of your smaller syndicates, but we have a way to blow your network exposed".

"Mere rumors".

"Not when we have financial records of it. Mercury?". The man then threw the scroll up, kecked the air, and fired a gun mechanism that ended destroying the device. "Just in case you think it was all in there".

Hotaru looked at Kollector who just sighed in frustration. He then looked at Ryu who nodded. Hotaru then stood up and took out a scroll. He tapped some options before placing the scroll on his ear. "My lord, would you please come to the Ram Room? It's a matter of most importance. Of course, I'll put you on screen first". He then hung up immediately and took back his seat. "Before he even comes, he has something to tell you. Ko!".

Kollector then pulled a scroll and placed it on the table. A moment later, the screen turned on and Onaga's white table was visible. Then a behemoth of a man arrived at the table and looked at the three guests. He growled, clearly displeased with them, and then spoke with his deep booming voice. "I will go to the Ram Room, but if by the time I arrive my subjects reject you; it'll be over for you!". The screen then turned off.

"It'll take him some time. So, what is it that you want?" Hotaru asked.

Cinder then stood up and began to walk towards the wall. "Hotaru; no need to be so cold. I have an objective and all I need is some dust. We will pay for it. Double? Triple? It can be arranged. Once we have it, we will-".

"No," Hotaru said immediately cutting off her speech.

"We only want dust. We don't need your-".

"No," he said again.

Cinder was now getting annoyed. "I am offering you more money than you could possibly-".

"No".

She was now looking at his eyes. She snarled before taking a deep breath. "And why are you so sure he would refuse?".

It was Hotaru's turn to smugly smile now. "Simple. Why do you want the dust?".

Cinder and her allies looked at each other before she answered.

"Why do you care?" She asked him back.

"For a lot of reasons. First, in case something goes wrong, it could be traced to us. Second, why would you want to give all that dust to criminals like the White Fang? No need to answer Cinder, we know why: You are also a terrorist. We want to build; you want to destroy. An organization meant on destroying humans and you are happy to give them ammunition? You clearly have an agenda against the kingdoms, and that is not good for us".

"Is that why you are so interested in the huntsmen academies, then?" she asked.

"… You could say that… Are… you against them? Are they your targets?". She did not answer, but the silence spoke for her. "So, let me get this straight: You want to destroy the huntsmen academies; the first line of defense against the Grimm? How is it beneficial to us that you allow those mindless beasts to run wild?".

Cinder's serious expression then morphed into a confident smile. She then looked at Mercury and Emerald who nodded in approval. "Mr. Taakoizu; you don't actually care about the money, do you?". All three Seido employees remained calm as she continued. "Sure, I know sleazy businessmen who would die for my deal. Roman only abandoned me because you offered more. All these security projects; you are not giving them for free. No, you want control over them, don't you?". No one said anything, but Cinder and her group did notice their attention was completely on her. "Don't worry, I won't judge you. But I do want to point out you are rooting for the wrong team".

Hotaru then calmly replied to her. "I don't know what you are talking about, madam. We at Seido do that out of the kindness of our hearts".

At that moment, Cinder lost it. Her laugh was so loud and genuine even her companions were surprised. After some time, she was finally able to speak once again. "Still going with that story, I see. Gentlemen, we don't need to do this. I can tell you want something bigger, just like us. So, let's stop this useless grudge; join us, and you will know the truth behind the Grimm, the academies, and even Ozpin".

The last name had finally managed to break Ryu, Kollector, and Hotaru's poker faces. They all looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "This… 'truth'… does it have to do with the maidens… and a witch?" Hotaru asked cautiously.

It was now Cinder and her followers' turn to look surprised. They were not expecting them to know that information. Cinder looked at Emerald who, in turn, looked for something on her scroll before nodding to her boss. Cinder now faced two options: Either keep digging for what they knew; or come clean and get Seido on their side of the secret conflict. Not knowing how long she could keep playing dumb with them, she went with the second option. "Yes," she answered.

"Going back to your hostile intentions towards the academies, and the fact that you spoke about revealing truths from Ozpin… my guess is that you are with the witch".

"Very well deducted".

"So… if you are against the academies… what kind of relationship do you have with the Grimm? They are not just mindless creatures, are they".

Cinder took a deep breath and planed carefully what she would say next. "Under normal circumstances, they are. But my… leader… she can make them into the world's perfect army. The only thing standing between our organization and true power is those pesky huntsmen academies". She then seemed to have regained her confidence by managing to smile throughout her answer. "So. What do you say?" she asked them before extending her arm for a handshake. "Are you in for the power?".

Hotaru and his associates looked at the hand for a long moment before he, too, smiled and answered. "Thank you, Miss Fall, for revealing so much to us". Her smile turned even more confident and even sinister for a moment until he continued. "You have revealed the extent of what you want for Remnant: Plunging it into chaos and destruction if only to achieve your goal of power," he said with spite. "But this is the main reason as to why we reject your deal: You are rivals!".

Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury never saw the moment in which Ryu then activated an alarm hidden on the cupboard next to him.

_'Alert! Alert! Guests, please follow the staff towards the kitchen for emergency lockdown. This is not a drill'_

An alarm said on a loop. Immediately after, the room's door was shut by a thick metal door with the same ram head picture. Cinder's henchmen got close to her; Emerald got her weapons on gun mode while Mercury raised his left foot. Cinder then spoke to the three other men, both annoyed and enraged. "Do you really want a fight? Need I remind you that we are in control of your security?".

Not one of her rivals answered her immediately or even moved. After a few seconds, Hotaru finally spoke again. "Are you familiar with the semiotics of the ram, Miss Fall?". She didn't answer, but she did raise her eyebrow in confusion. "The Ram is an animal with a strong head capable of stopping its enemies often used as a symbol of further damage to the attacker. Ironically though… It was also used as the headpiece of a battering ram, a weapon used to break defenses. In other words, a strong enough weapon".

As soon as Hotaru was done explaining, Kollector flipped the table to the side making an improvised wall, Ryu then sprinted behind it and they all pulled it towards a corner. Guns appeared from the eyes of all the rams in the room and began to shoot. Cinder's group managed to dodge some bullets, but others made contact and began to deplete their aura.

Caring more about survival, Emerald grabbed her scroll again and began to scream orders at it. "Dammit, Watts! Forget what you are doing and take these things away!".

* * *

Dr. Watts was fascinated by the technology available at the hotel. Although it had taken him a week to hack into some of the systems in the hotel and the company, it was all worth it. He was taking his time doing everything right; he had rented a room; he had made a spy-bot to get into the servers and had gained access to the financial records of the company. Everything started to go downhill, however, when Lionheart had informed Salem that he had been invited to speak with the CEO. Immediately after, Cinder, who had been getting incriminating information from low-level syndicates associated with Seido, decided to use that, the financial records and what little hacking into security they had to make them work for her.

Oh, how he hated that woman. They only needed to wait a few more months and that company would have been under new management. Sure, it would take more time than attacking the academies directly, but it would be safer. Sadly, Salem favored Cinder's idea, and here he was now; recently managing to hack into the security robots and trying to get whatever was on that white-haired goody-two-shoes' computer, while at his improvised lab on an abandoned warehouse on Vale.

Everything was going normally until he received a call from Emerald. "Strange…" Watts told himself. "Cinder said she would just text me…".

He answered the call expecting success but jumped back when he heard Emerald's panicking screaming voice. "Dammit, Watts! Forget what you are doing and take these things away!".

"What are you babbling about, child?" Watts asked in confusion.

"We are in the Ram Room! It has automated guns! Do something- Ah!".

Oh, how would he love to leave them to die. But he knew Salem would consider this a failure on him as well, so he dropped the decoding and proceeded to look for said security mechanism. Fortunately, the folders were so well organized it took him mere seconds to locate, and with a few moves from his fingers, he activated an overload on the defenses.

* * *

The guns kept firing while Cinder and company kept dodging. More than once they tried to hide behind the table as well, but the guns kept them from it. The three men kept a close eye on them except for Hotaru, who was occupied with the object inside the package he received: A new version of the scarab. The situation did not change for a couple of minutes until the guns suddenly stopped and they began to throw smoke; and a few seconds later they finally blew up.

Cinder and her goons were already marching towards the table, while Hotaru and his group went over a strategy: go one on one, get the scroll and activate the manual walls.

Cinder was ready to blow up the table with her fire powers, but they were all surprised when it was kicked forwards with insane strength, crashing and breaking up on the other corner. Hotaru, Ryu and Kollector then prepared to fight Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald, respectively. "Surrender now," Cinder told him as her eyes were surrounded by fire and her hands lighted up.

Hotaru, in turn, looked at Ryu and then at Kollector. "Get the doors. Get the scroll, no secrecy needed". Ryu then cracked his knuckles while Kollector retrieved his mace while smiling.

"You insolent idiots! No matter how much you beg, your death will-" Cinder began to say, but was interrupted when Ryu roared and ran into Mercury, taking the young man with him, ramming him through the metal door, breaking the railing and finally dropping Mercury to the lower floor before jumping through the room and landing at a roof-edge on the wall.

Cinder and Emerald got distracted by what just happened, and they never saw the medallion that hit Emerald on the back of her head. When they turned around, the girl was then pushed back by a chained-mace. Cinder was looking at the Naknada retrieving his weapon while Hotaru had a digital panel on his wrist. She then made a fire sword and charged towards them, but she was not expecting her initial blows to be blocked by Kollector and his mace; in the same way, he also did not expect her to make a second sword while their weapons were locked.

Her slash, however, was stopped by a hand coming from the Naknada's back that caught her wrist. He was, however, distracted by Emerald who was back on her feet and shooting at him. A well-placed bullet on his forearm made him drop cinder's weapons but she, in turn, was tackled to the ground by Hotaru. "Get the scroll" he ordered the Naknada who then charged at the other woman while turning blue in the process.

Kollector jumped in the air wanting to smash his mace on Emerald. The girl, however, managed to dodge his attack and ran down the hall while shooting at Kollector. Cinder and Hotaru were left alone in the room looking at each other, she then raised one hand and created a bow and arrow which she then pointed at him. "Your upper hand was not going to last. Call off your attack! Now!" she ordered him.

Hotaru raised his hands but his face was still overflowing with confidence. She was then able to hear a beeping sound and saw the pale blue panel had some sort of loading screen almost completed. She fired the arrow, but he managed to evade it rolling out of the way. He, however, was not expecting for her to throw a fireball immediately after which Hotaru managed to block at the last minute with the scarab. A flash of light happened, and Cinder was then able to see Hotaru's upper body covered in a black and turquoise armor while his head and legs were exposed. The man, clearly confused and angry, looked at his wrist and saw a red 'ERROR' message.

Cinder laughed at Hotaru's predicament and his ridiculous new look. "Too bad this will be how you die. Any last words?".

"Your arrogance is annoying," Hotaru said matter-of-factly as the metal gloves he was wearing began to shine with golden light and he fired two potent golden beams on her direction.

* * *

When Mercury was finally able to remove all the wreckage over him, he then saw Ryu had gone from one side of the dining room to the other and was now tearing a square shape next to him. Most surprising of all, however, was the fact that he was succeeding. In a matter of seconds, the 7 feet tall stone square fell to the floor and immediately after heavy metal walls with strange glowing blue symbols carved on them. When the last of the those fell into place, Ryun then jumped again and landed on the floor with a loud thud. He then stood up and cleaned some dust as if nothing had happened.

Mercury finally stood up and saw that Ryu's hat was gone and two small light grey horns were on his head. "So, you are a faunus after all…" he said with an air of humor. Ryu just looked at him and charged in Mercury's direction. Mercury shot at him, but Ryu was like an unstoppable train who just covered his face with his forearm before crashing into him.

The impact had pushed Mercury back, but Ryu then grabbed his left leg and smashed his body on the ground. Ryu then grabbed both of his slacks and started to spin him. Mercury, however, recovered his senses and shot him three times in the face. Ryu let go from one side and that caused one of Mercury's slacks to tear. The teen was sent flying, but he recovered midair. He was smiling at first, but then he saw Ryu brushing off the remaining dust from his face and growling. "What… are you?". Their fight was then interrupted by a green vial that fell in their way and they turned to see Emerald fighting Kollector in his real body "What is that!?" Mercury yelled at Emerald.

"Mercury! Focus on- Woah! He was a faunus!? Do dragon faunus even exist!?". Emerald yelled back.

Soon after all four fighters were on the lower level and the shock from Emerald and Mercury was gone. Both Kollector and Ryu then attacked their respective opponents.

* * *

Cinder was not one to enjoy the thrill of fighting. She would much rather frighten all who opposed her. Sadly, Hotaru was not one of those easily scared fat-cats, he would much rather go down fighting; worse of all was that he was both a competent fighter and had a powerful weapon on his side. That suit of armor proved to be a severe annoyance.

Hotaru was switching constantly between his energy blasts and physical attacks which she blocked or countered with various of her crystal-like weapons. None the less, he did have superiority over her.

Hotaru managed to corner her on the fireplace and blasted her directly. She dodged the attack, and he immediately followed her moves not caring about how much of the room was being destroyed. She then made a fire kunai which he then blocked with his left arm. She then noticed a pattern during their fight: he was always protecting his right arm. It was the one he shot with the least; he always protected it from projectiles and used it the least when fighting. She then remembered the hand-holder; 'How could I've been so blind!?' she yelled in her head.

Cinder then created a fire-blade and charged towards him. She managed to dodge his blasts and then clashed her weapon with his left armguard. Hotaru was ready to blast her again, but he didn't notice her blasting a fireball to his legs. While his arm was his greatest weakness, she noticed his legs were left unprotected; he was so distracted trying to protect it he never considered her going for his unattended and exposed body parts.

Hotaru fell on the ground but immediately rolled over before Cinder could impale her sword on his head. When he got on one knee, he then saw Cinder's eyes being surrounded by fire. "Your eyes… the power of the maidens…" he said surprised.

"How do you know about them?" she asked with as much surprise.

"I already defeated and killed one; and she was far better than you" he told her. Hotaru was sure that that would scare her; he was not expecting her shock to then turn into pure rage.

"RAAAAHHHHH" she yelled while being surrounded by fire. "You idiot! Do you have the slightest idea of how long it will take us to find the new host!?".

While Cinder lacked the calm and fast thinking mind of Raven due to her young age and inexperience with her powers, Hotaru was also fighting the bandit while on prime physical condition. Cinder might be weaker in the long run, but he was now facing her with a still recuperating arm and now slightly burnt legs. If anything, the risks were now higher for him.

* * *

Kollector hated fighting without his backpack. No bolas, no sickle, no knives, no lantern; all he had right now were his mace and a limited number of vials. Luckily for him, however, was that he had managed to keep the girl close to him despite her best efforts to try and get away to then shoot at him, most likely. He swung his mace left and right trying to hit her on the head, but she had good reflexes and managed to dodge his attacks. He then changed his approach and spring-launched the mace, but she deflected the attacks with the sickles on her guns.

Emerald was confident that Kollector would soon get tired and that would give her the chance to shoot, stab, or cut him; but she never expected the next spring attack to be directed at her legs. While her aura took care of the damage, she was still distracted by the blow and did not notice the chain from the mace tying her legs. Kollector then pulled the chain making her fall on her back and slide towards him at full speed. She was stopped when Kollector slammed his foot on her chest, allowing him to recover his mace. He then squatted and began to punch and slash her face. Emerald tried to defend herself, but he grabbed both her arms with his middle hands and was ready to pummel her face with the mace.

Mercury was in a, somewhat, better shape. He had managed to catch both of Ryu's fists, but the pure brute strength of his opponent was pushing Mercury back. He managed to see Emerald in danger, so he let himself fall on the ground and as soon as Ryu was hovering over him, Mercury kicked and shot at him making Ryu float in the air. This gave mercury enough time to spin and shoot at Kollector, distracting the naknada and allowing Emerald to free herself, headbutt Kollector, grab her weapons and shoot at him to allow some distance between them.

Kollector ran behind a table and hid until Emerald stopped shooting. He then saw her in front of him and he attacked with his chained mace again; but instead of evading the attack, she vanished. Kollector was puzzled, but he then felt more gunfire coming from his right; but when he was getting ready to attack, he saw there were two Emeralds. Another shot from behind him made him turn and he was now able to see he was surrounded by an army of Emeralds. Enraged, he attacked one clone at a time, but as soon as it was gone, another took its place and he was shot from a different angle.

Ryu had just thrown Mercury towards a pillar as he saw Kollector attacking random spots around him while Emerald walked from one place to another and shooting at him. He then grabbed a table and threw it towards Emerald.

The girl saw the table coming, but evading it made her illusion fall. She hid from both Kollector and Ryu, who was now helping his associate get up. Before the naknada could thank him, however, Mercury got up and was already in the air ready to deliver a kick on Ryu's back. Kollector then pushed the other man out of the way and shot his mace towards Mercury, hitting the young man in the chest and stopping his attack. "I will take care of the boy. The girl has the scroll, bus she uses illusions" Kollector told him. Ryu nodded and ran towards the last place they saw Emerald. Kollector then gave Mercury a hideous grin before swinging his mace towards him once again.

Ryu got next to the broken table he threw towards Emerald. He then looked around trying to find her or something close to her; and soon enough, he saw her standing not so far away with her guns drawn. "Stand down if you know what is good for you!" She warned him; but instead of charging towards her, he closed his eyes and smelled his surroundings. Her scent was vague but traceable; and the one standing in front of him was, indeed, not the one he was looking for. He would have kept looking for her, but he covered himself when he felt the first set of bullets and heard a multitude of Emeralds taunting him. 'Give up!', 'You can't find me!', 'All muscles and no brain. Pathetic!', he managed to hear some of them say. He growled and ran to take cover behind another table and resumed his labor from before. He traced her scent for a while, ignoring her voices, and when he was sure to have found the source, he kicked the table with all of his strength; and sure enough, the voices stopped and only a surprised yell was all he could hear.

Emerald was not expecting the brute to kick the table her way; and even though she avoided it, her illusion was broken. Even worse; as she was standing up, Ryu was already charging her way. He managed to tackle her and slammed her body on a wall, creating a small crater. He then grabbed the pocket that held her scroll and he ripped it from her pants before delivering a final punch on her face, making the crater even deeper. With the scroll in hand, he then ran towards Kollector.

The naknada saw Ryu coming his way with the scroll in hand. He then raised one of his hands as Ryu threw the scroll his way. Luckily, Kollector caught the device but was kicked and shot by Mercury who took advantage of his brief distraction. He was ready to kick the lights out of Kollector, but he had to jump back when Ryu arrived to slam the ground where he was just standing on. Not wasting any more time, Kollector placed the scroll next to his zaphyre and both he and Ryu ran to hide behind a table.

Emerald recovered her senses after a while and got next to Mercury. "They have my scroll," she told him.

"And I lost my patience!" he yelled. They then refilled their weapons with stronger dust rounds and began to shoot at the other two men. Everyone then froze when they heard loud banging on the metal walls; and sure enough, they were starting to give in. "Here that, assholes! The chivalry has arrived!"

Unknown to them was that Kollector was speaking to someone through his zaphyre. "Find the source of their control! This should be enough!".

"Indeed…" the voice of Sektor said from the other side of the line.

* * *

Watts was happy that Cinder and her children had stopped bothering him. He was now able to resume his precious work. But just as he was getting to the juicy files like 'Pyramid Factory', 'Order Realm Rift coordinates' and 'Scarab Remote Unit', his security alarms went off. Not physical security; his computer's security.

"Halt your actions right now, human!" a deep cybernetic voice ordered. Soon after, a strange red symbol was blocking his interface.

"Only now does the firewall activate. Lousy security" Watts said as he managed to move the screen away to resume his work. But then another one appeared, and the same voice repeated the same command. "Halt your actions right now, human!". Watts rolled his eyes in annoyance but noticed how it took him a longer time to clear the screen this time.

Just as he was about to close that warning, a screen behind him then showed the same symbol and the same voice repeated the message. Watts tried to close that one as well, but suddenly all his screens showed the symbol. Watts was growing impatient by the second now. "I'll trace the source of this idiotic defense and shut it down permanently!" he almost screamed.

"You will not!" the voice yelled back.

Surprised, to say the least, Watts then recovered and kept speaking to the voice. "I am one of Remnant's finest minds! An obsolete protection software is not going to stop-".

"I am no software! I am Sektor! And you are finished!". Just as the voice finished its threat, all of Watt's screens showed the face of a mouthless red robot with neon-blue eyes. "Prepare to be finished human!" Sektor told Watts as in record time all the information he had gathered got immediately deleted. Worse of all was how Sektor was now hacking into his systems faster than Watts did to Seido. "Relevant data found. Begin extraction!".

Despite Watts' best efforts, his gloves did nothing. As soon as he managed to get into his systems, he got kicked out. Noticing how even his inventions were starting to be controlled by this 'Sektor', he decided to shut down everything by force. He took off his gloves grabbed one of his dust pistols and shot every bullet he had on the fuse box, shutting down the energy for good.

His panic turned into pure rage; both at Sektor and at Cinder. The destruction of his lab and the moths of gathering was all her fault. But then he realized something: The tables were turning, and now Seido had regained their security robots most likely, and that meant that Cinder was done for, most likely. He was happy for a short while before looking at his handbag and remembering the Seer in it. He could let Cinder be trapped or killed, but Salem would be enraged with him if he did so. "Idiotic brat!" Watts screamed as he threw everything on his table to the floor in rage. His lab was now worthless if Sektor was still in the systems, so he decided to burn everything as he escaped on his bullhead with The Night Beetle as his next destination.

* * *

_'Systems rebooting and cleaning all traces of malware. Remaining time: 12 minutes. Calls to law enforcement have been made. Estimated time of arrival: 6 minutes'._

The message on Kollector's zaphyre read.

"Humans will arrive faster than our reinforcements!" Kollector told Ryu. They were still hiding behind a group of tables now that both Mercury and Emerald were shooting more powerful dust rounds at them. Kollector had tried to go out, but the number of bullets had hurt one of his arms and he was not sure if he could survive getting close enough to use his mace.

They could let the police see this, but the powerful shots were already breaking some of the wood and both Mercury and Emerald seemed to be far from running out of bullets. Kollector then faced Ryu once again. "I think it is time for them to meet Lord Onaga".

Ryu tried to look over the table and was almost blown away. He then faced Kollector once again and nodded before he closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Meanwhile, the naknada then grabbed one of the tables with his middle hands while he grabbed Ryu's shoulders and waist with his top hands and backhand respectively as if he was a backpack. He then kicked another table intending to distract Emerald and Mercury to give Ryu some time to jump and sink his nails into the main metal wall.

Mercury and Emerald resumed their firing soon after while Ryu climbed the wall as fast as he could. The table was already breaking as Ryu got to the top. Kollecor had raised his legs to hide from the bullets as Ryu placed his left hand on the roof while his right hand was on the top of the wall. He then pushed both surfaces with all his strength while also breathing heavily; and as soon as the table got destroyed, the wall came off the roof, falling to the lower floor and almost crushing Emerald and Mercury.

Both of Cinder's henchmen got away, but Ryu and Kollector fell on top of the metal surface; and as soon as they recovered, they were faced to face with the gun barrels of the invaders' weapons. "Can't say it was fun. But at least it's over for-" Mercury was saying before he and emerald felt small quakes getting stronger; almost if they were steps.

Kollector and Ryu took that moment to get away; and just as Mercury was ready to chase them; he was stopped by Emerald's gasp of panic. "What is it Em?". He asked as the girl went pale and pointed at the door. Confused, Mercury looked at what she was pointing and understood why she was acting like that.

They could just see a silhouette, but that was easily the tallest thing besides some of the Grimm that they had ever seen. The figure also had long horns, claws, a tail, and animal-like legs besides glowing yellow eyes. It took the figure a few seconds to arrive; but as soon as it did, they were now able to see a reptilian monster calmly walking their way. When it saw them, however, it frowned and roared.

* * *

Hotaru pulled out his naginata and blocked all the fire projectiles that Cinder threw his way before blocking a double slash from her. The room was now covered with a thin layer of smoke and dust thanks to all the furniture that got burnt, and that was playing to Cinder's advantage.

Hotaru's burnt legs made him a stationary opponent; and while he was still able to block her projectiles and some of her attacks, he still was a sitting target. To his advantage, however, was that his hand cannons were still effective to keep her at bay.

After a moment, Cinder decided to come out of the smoke once again; but instead of attacking with her swords, she just evaded Hotaru's slash. She then disintegrated her swords and created a dagger which she then threw at Hotaru. The weapon got stuck on his wrist's mechanism and it immediately started to sound an alarm. Fearing the worst, he managed to remove the glove-like thing and threw it to the wall before it exploded.

The shock blast made Cinder and Hotaru fall, but she recovered faster than him and created a spear which she then pointed at his neck. "You will do as I say, or-". BLAM! Something heavy outside fell and made everything shake while also making Cinder lose her train of thought.

Not soon after, she heard a roar coming from outside. She was now very confused as to what was happening, but she regained her composure once she heard Hotaru laughing. "You wanted to meet Lord Onaga?" he taunted her as he shot a blast at her with his other hand. She got out of the projectile's way, but Hotaru was already up and leaving the room. He stopped at the door and looked back one last time. "You got your wish" he said before leaving.

Cinder was already following him but was stopped when a small earthquake happened and both Emerald and Mercury fell on her feet. Emerald was hurt and Mercury was missing a leg. "Emerald!? What happened!?".

The girl was terrified and quickly went to help Mercury. "Cinder! We need to get out here. Now!".

"Why would we quit now when…" she then heard and felt the loud and powerful steps; and as the smoke cleared, she was now able to see the form of a human and dragon hybrid with yellow eyes getting closer. When it finally arrived, she was now able to see that it was bigger than the entrance and was already trying to pull the doorframe apart to enter. Cinder and her team were walking back, not sure of what to do until her scroll vibrated. She pulled the device out and saw it was a message from Watts.

_'Get away from the wall'._

Before they could question anything, an explosion came from behind them. What little of aura they had left protected them from the blast, and they were then able to see Watts' bullhead which was then opening its cargo door. The dragon beast roared in anger and was now punching the wall apart. Cinder then decided that survival was better than victory and gave the order, "Retreat!" and in a matter of seconds, all three of them got on the bullhead.

"What happened to you?" Watts questioned before noticing the dragon-human thing running towards them.

"What are you waiting for!? Get us out of here!" Cinder yelled as Watts did just that and the bullhead flew away at top speed.

Thankfully, the dragon-thing did not follow, and even though they knew Salem would be enraged that the operation was a failure, they had more things to worry about.


	24. Chapter 24

_('VNN breaking news' appears on the screen and then quickly shrinks into the corner allowing the viewers to see Lisa Lavender standing next to the barricaded doors of The Night Beetle and many other cameras and reporters)._

_'We are standing in front of The Night Beetle, headquarters of Seido Industries, where just moments ago a bullhead of unknown origin shot the top floors of the hotel. None of the employees or guests have come out and-'._

_(The doors open and members of security are leading the guests and workers on a single line while also checking a list of names. Reporters and cameras are trying to question the people walking but are then stopped by more members of security)._

_'Did you see who shot the hotel?'._

_'Do you know what could have caused the attacks?'._

_'Will you sue the hotel for psychological damages?'._

_(From the doors emerge Hotaru, Ryu, and Kollector in slightly worn-down clothes)._

_'Leave them alone. I am the one you want!'_

_(All cameras and reporters then run to surround Hotaru. Before they get a chance to ask anything, however, Hotaru immediately begins to talk)._

_'I want to make these next statements available for the safety of all Remnant: The people who attacked us ARE part of the same organization that kidnapped me. They were sent to finish the job before the SSS became fully functional. I also want to make it clear that every police department and military force in every kingdom has received the identities and descriptions of the four people behind the attack. I also want to assure the world that we are not stepping back; we will find them, and we will bring them to justice just like every other criminal. Finally: I want to set a bounty of five hundred thousand lien for information on these terrorists; a million to anyone who brings one of them alive and five million for all four. That would be all'._

_(As Hotaru and his companions enter the hotel once again, the camera points at Lisa who is getting a message on her earpiece)._

_'Ok… we can now confirm that the identities of the terrorists as well as visuals on their appearances…'._

_(In the screen appear three drawings showing Cinder's team)._

_'Three of the perpetrators have been identified as Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black and Cinder Fall. But most worrying of all is the fourth one, revealed by an anonymous source through a security video'._

_(A black and white security video then shows Dr. Watts opening the warehouse's door for his bullhead. After the vehicle leaves, the warehouse explodes and the video stops)._

_'This man has been confirmed as Dr. Arthur Watts. A disgraced scientist from Atlas presumed dead for years._

_(The camera then cuts back to Lisa)._

_'We ask for every citizen to remain calm and help authorities capture these people. For VNN, this is-'._

"Enough!" Salem, the queen of Grimm yelled as she slammed and cracked the meeting table in which all her followers sat. A scroll she was presented with to see the aftermath of the failed 'negotiations' with Seido industries was then removed by one of her seers. Watts, Emerald, Mercury, and Cinder held their heads down; knowing they had failed their assignment. Hazel, the giant tanned man remained perfectly still, but Tyrian, the psychopathic scorpion faunus laughed manically while expecting Cinder and Watts' punishment.

Salem then stood up and floated towards Cinder's group and Watts. Once she was behind both adults, she spoke without looking at them. "Do you think there is anything that can excuse your monumental disaster?" No one even dared to raise their eyes. "Not only did you fail to make them cooperate, Cinder. You also exposed our existence to him and revealed yourselves to the world". Watts sighed in relief, but Salem immediately got net to him and continued. "Don't you dare think you are without guilt, Arthur! That camera was not placed there by Cinder; or was it!?". The man shook his head. "Good… now… EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!" she yelled with such intensity that some of the empty chairs got thrown away.

It was now that Salem noticed that Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury were silent out of respect for her. They raised their heads and their eyes showed a mixture of anger and fear. Salem was confused for a moment before Mercury began to scream. "You never told us of the… the things that lived there!".

Everyone else at the table was genuinely shocked by Mercury's outburst; and just as Salem was ready to end the boy's life, Emerald interfered on her behalf. "Mercury! How was she supposed to know those… things… were there?".

"She has lived for thousands of years! Are you telling me she never saw any of those things walking over Remnant at some point in time!?".

Salem's anger was replaced by confusion. She genuinely didn't know what they were talking about. "Enough!" she ordered once again successfully making Emerald and Mercury stop. She then looked at Cinder before crossing her arms.

Cinder understood what Salem wanted. She took a deep breath and started her explanation. "We were received by three people. Hotaru was the only human… as far as we know. But the other two… one was a blue humanoid beast with six arms and orange eyes, the other was a dragon faunus". Salem considered what Cinder said. Never in her life had she ever heard of a dragon faunus, and she never met any 'six-armed-monster' in her life. She kept listening, however, when Cinder seemed scared of what she saw next. "As Hotaru was escaping… he then said that my wish of meeting Onaga would be granted… but that thing that came for us…".

Salem then saw Emerald holding her shoulders and Mercury rubbing his temporary leg. It was him who then continued. "It was a giant… dragon and human monster. The body structure of a human; but with horns, tail, wings, claws, and everything!".

The room went silent for a moment before Salem spoke again. "Mercury is right. I have walked this world for eons, and I have seen many kinds of creatures. But none of the descriptions you are giving…".

The room was then filled with uncontrolled laughter. Everyone then looked at Tyrian, the source of said laughter, with a scroll in hand. "Little liars… you should have raised them better Cinder. Lying in front of the goddess? UNFORGIVABLE!". He screamed while slamming the table with his open hands and his stinger.

That accusation did manage to make Cinder lose her composure. "I know what we saw, you maniac! Besides, the bullhead's camera-".

Tyrian laughed once again and then slipped the scroll across the table towards Cinder. It had said video from the bullhead, but to her surprise, there was no giant dragon-human. It only showed debris falling from the walls close to the doorframe and both Kollector and Ryu arriving on the room.

Salem's anger was once again growing; and just as her eyesight met with Cinder's, an unexpected source jumped on her defense. "That's impossible!" Dr. Watts yelled, standing up from his chair and slamming his fist on the table. "We know what we saw; and that was not it!".

Silence took over the room once again and everyone - but Watts - was shocked at the development. The fact that he, Arthur Watts, sided with Cinder was enough to convince Salem that they might be telling the truth. She was aware of the constant rivalries between her subjects, but those had never gotten to the point where her plans were ruined by them, so she allowed those to happen.

The silence was then once again broken by Mercury. "Look!". He yelled, pointing at the screen. He then zoomed-in and showed everyone the blue monster. It was a little blurry, but there were, indeed, things on his back that could be described as arms.

Salem then turned around and began to walk out of the room while holding her chin. "My Goddess?" Tyrian asked with genuine concern.

"Hazel! Tyrian! You are not to go to Vale under any circumstances. Watts! Tell Lionheart to not schedule another meeting with them. Tell him he is to reject any accusation of collaborating with us. Cinder!" she then looked at her and her followers. "Tell me everything that happened. With details".

* * *

"That ish jussst… bull!" Cardin yelled at the screen showing news of all ports in Vale closing while holding a bottle of rum, way past a drunken state. "How'm I goin' back?".

To celebrate the fact that he got a 60% score in his latest history test (his highest score yet that did not require tutoring) Elsa invited him to drink and skip his last classes. He always thought he had a strong liver, but he now knew he was ages away from being as good as Elsa. The older girl, in turn, arrived with two newly opened bottles of strong beer. "Were you hoping to return so soon? I'm no expert, but this…" she said while pointing at him and his drunken state "will definitely raise some eyebrows".

"Nnnnnaaaaaaaah… don't worry… I wassss gonna wait fur da night… but this!?" he said while pointing at the screen. "Thisss… means the portsss are closssed 'till tomorrow…". He took a sip from his bottle and continued. "But now… BITCHWITCH… is gonna grill me… for skippin'! And Jaune… that… cheating basstard… bet he is eatin' her to passsss". He then went quiet while being in deep thought; he then screamed with clear anger on his voice. "FUCK! I would also like to eat that milf!".

Elsa sat next to him with an unamused look and her head resting on her hand. "Dude; I'm right here. And what is that about cheating".

Cardin then opened his eyes as hard as he could before looking at her. He then looked to both sides as if to make sure no one else was listening. He then told her to get close with his finger and whispered in her ear. "Don't… tell anyone… or I'll know… but Jaune… he faked his transcripts".

Elsa was now well beyond surprised. "Noooooo…".

"Yeeeeesssssh" he said playfully. "Heard it myssshelf. Made him do… all sssortsh of shhhhit! Then the Ursha thing happened… and I shaid I'd be quiet… so… shhhhhhh".

"Wow…" Elsa said looking at the screen now. "That actually explains a lot!". She then stood up to get something for him to eat.

"Yeeeeah… and… if I had told… GOODBITCH 'bout it… he would have been... GONE months ago… he would have missed… das fight with… Kuai Liang and hisss… TREE BUDIESSSS!".

The last sentence made her drop a bottle of ketchup, but Cardin was way too drunk to care. "What did you say?".

"Kuai Liang and his troop of tree huggers… man, I hate those nerdsss… you know them?".

"… No…" Elsa said. "But I believe this is the first time you've brought them up…".

"Uuuugh… you have no idea!".

"You know Cardin, I would love to hear how bad they are… along with your team".

* * *

The Ram Room had served its purpose. The dining room would be ready to operate by the next night. The Hotel would be working as if nothing happened and guests would love it. But Everyone who knew their true intentions were beyond enraged at this moment.

Onaga's suite had a window on the floor that lead directly to the restaurant, but from bellow, it only reflected the bigger tables. The room itself had just a single bed, a closet, a drawer with a normal TV screen, and the now-infamous white table with a camera on it.

The dragon humanoid was walking through the room while Kollector and Hotaru kneeled, and the face of Sektor was on screen. He then addressed them with the same question they all had. "How did they get in?" he asked before growling and then looking at Sektor on the screen.

"The credentials were sent through local software. Dr. Watts is also a renowned computer scientist. A possibility exists that the headmaster's security was compromised. My recovery mission revealed that he got into our systems through a direct connection to our servers; he could have gotten a copy of them through it as he is the only one who you were meeting that way".

Onaga considered that possibility for a moment before looking at Hotaru and a clear discomfort on his face. "Commander, do you have any theories?".

Hotaru then stood up. "My lord. Not to discredit the grandmaster, but it makes no sense to me that they had our information for so long, and just now did they decide to use Lionheart's credentials".

This caught Onaga's attention. "Explain".

"They could have made fake clearances. I do not doubt that Dr. Watts is more than capable. They could have used any alias to do so, but they used a specific clearance that was not created until some days ago. My lord, I have a theory that Professor Lionheart is collaborating with Miss Fall and her associates".

Onaga did not say anything. He just looked at Sektor once again. "A probability exists. Though we are not in Professor Ozpin's inner circle to know the exact actions of Lionheart".

Onaga went back to walking back and forth with his claws behind his back. "This could play in our favor… our way to winning Ozpin's trust…".

Their conversation was then interrupted by Hotaru's scroll ringing. He then saw it was a text message from Maurice requesting his presence.

* * *

Hotaru and Ryu arrived at the door of the Dragon Room, and sure enough, there was the mouse faunus, waiting for them. "Maurice" Hotaru greeted.

"Mr. Taakoizu. Mr. Jin" Maurice said while bowing. "I have information that I feel needs to be revealed". Both men then looked at each other for a moment. When they looked back at Maurice, he then continued. "I think one of our employees leaked information. I am not sure if it was to the attackers, though".

Hotaru said nothing. He then just opened the door to his office. "Would you please come in, Maurice?".

* * *

_As of now, Hotaru Taakoizu is the most approved public figure with an average of 72% on all kingdoms. In a hypothetical election for the Mistral Council, he would win well over three-quarters of the votes, and a candidate supported by the businessman for any council election on other kingdoms averages 67%. It seems like the frontal style resonates with the people of Remnant. For VNN, this is-._

_(The feed stops)._

Once again, all the conspirators, except Jaune, sat in the library. The news about the attack on The Night Beetle was heard by every living soul at school; and while almost all students felt emotions ranging between fear, rage, indignation, sadness, and more, only nine students felt hopeless.

With every passing day, Seido Industries only grew stronger, playing the world like a fiddle. While they all waited for Weiss' associate to send them good news, they watched an expansion on the reports from earlier. Sure enough, they were not expecting Hotaru to now be the world's most eligible bachelor; but soon enough, the message arrived.

Weiss then stood up, got to the board, opened the message, and read its content. "Dear miss Schnee, I have read and analyzed the financial reports you've sent me, and while I know you are right about these being forgeries… I do not have enough resources as it is right now to prove it…". She stopped to look at the faces of disbelief on everyone present before reading again. "I would be able to prove their guilt, but it would require further assistance to check the laundering techniques they used; a job which, alone, could take me well over a year. I know you do not want this to be known outside of your trust circle, and unfortunately, I do not have people of trust who could help me with this. I am sorry I have not been of more use, and I wish you the best of luck…".

Weiss then sat down with a turmoil of emotions inside of her.

"It was pointless…" Blake said as she massaged her head. "We almost got torn to shreds for nothing!".

Nora immediately tried to cheer her up. "Well, I wouldn't say that Blakey! In fact-".

"Oh, grow up, Nora. We have nothing!".

"Hey!" Ren then entered to defend Nora. "Don't talk to her like that, she is just trying to make you feel better".

"I'm sorry if you all can't see it, but I'm just telling it as it is!".

Nora then stood up and defended herself. "Listen here, if you want to be angry at anyone, it should be at Ruby and her little friend!".

"What!?" almost yelled both Ruby and Yang at the same time.

Nora then kept on arguing her position. "Ruby, Weiss' source was communicating constantly and gave us an answer sooner than Penny did. When was the last time you even saw her?".

Before Ruby could retort, Yang stepped in. "Hey, I saw what she could do, and if she says it'll take time, then it'll take time!".

"We are not worried about that; and you know it, Yang!" Ren said, surprising all at the table. "We have all seen Penny actively avoiding Ruby, Ciel even keeps her away; and we all know why she would do that!".

"Penny would never betray me!" Ruby finally yelled.

Before anything else could escalate, Neptune and Sun began to stand up and walk away. They were, however, stopped by Yang. "And where do you think you two are going!?".

Both teens looked at each other and then turned around slowly. Sun then decided to speak for both. "Look. I got a message that said every employee should be at the hotel early in the morning and I honestly don't feel like stepping in on this. So…".

"Oh no. It's alright" Weiss said sarcastically. "Go on and work for a known criminal, there is nothing wrong with that!".

Neptune then decided to step in. "Woah, woah, woah. Time out. We are out there putting our lives on the line against Seido. Not only that, but we are also the only ones showing results! So, I think we deserve a little more appreciation for it!".

"Oh, stop taking credit for all Sun actually does, your blue pansy!" Blake yelled at Neptune.

"ENOUGH!" Pyrrha finally screamed. They earned themselves a shushing from a near table, but they all just ordered them to be quiet. When the other students were gone, Pyrrha continued. "We should stop kidding ourselves. We were way over our heads. We are going to get nowhere; we are nowhere, and this was all a waste of time. Let's please not bother anymore. Good night everyone!".

As Pyrrha walked away, everyone felt perplexed at first, but Nora was the first to get out of it and ran to block Pyrrha's path. "Don't you dare tell us all of this was for nothing. We did this for you!". Pyrrha decided to just ignore her and then kept walking. "Oh, I know what is happening. Despite Yang apologizing, you are still mad about Jaune. You are so mad you kicked him out of this even though he and Yang have explained to you many times it was just a cover!" Pyrrha just kept walking. "You know what? Despite your strength, despite your abilities, you are just a coward!". That finally made the red-haired girl stop and turn around. No one, however, was expecting the slap that came.

The silence that followed felt eternal. And in that time lapse, Pyrrha was able to see the shock in some of the faces, the indignation on Ren's, and finally the betrayal on Nora's. Ren quickly stood up and went to check Nora's inflamed cheek. It then took a long time before Pyrrha spoke again. "I… I am…". The anger on Ren's eye stopped her from speaking any further, but it was now the same look on Nora that finally broke her. Pyrrha then left the library for good.

Everyone's shock began to go away soon after. Some were confused as to what to do next, others felt like not talking at all, but Yang knew what she had to do next. She stood up and followed Pyrrha.

* * *

'The invincible girl', she was always called. Yet now she felt more fragile than ever. She left the library and went to get a coffee from a machine next to the dorm entrance and thought of what she had just done. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when she heard another set of shoes walking towards her. Pyrrha looked up and saw Yang standing next to her with her arms crossed. Pyrrha then sighed. "Yang, can we please do this some other-".

"No, we can't!". she then interrupted her. "We are doing this now! We all have given our best trying to help you with this. We didn't do it because you paid or begged us, we did it because we wanted to help you! Ren and Blake got almost killed trying to get info, we almost got caught by Junior, Jaune was willing to go and find information from whatever source just to help you! Are we mad that things didn't go our way? Yes. But we are still willing to go forward. What really ticked us was you telling us it was for nothing!".

Yang's rant was over, and Pyrrha was left speechless. Yang just stood still for a long time, expecting Pyrrha to do something, but she never acted. Yang then let out a sigh and began to walk towards the dorm building. Pyrrha then spent another hour walking around and thinking about what Yang said and decided to head to bed once the curfew was growing closer.

She arrived at her dorm and found Ren and Nora getting ready for bed while Jaune was reading a book already in his sleeping clothes. They all looked at her but said nothing as they finished and went to sleep. Pyrrha then got ready herself and finally turned off the last light with an enormous feeling of guilt on her shoulders.

Pyrrha did not sleep at all that night. What Yang told her kept repeating itself on her mind all night long. They were doing this for her, and she did have to be thankful for it. But this was also getting out hand. The infighting had to stop right now. Then, she finally remembered she held the key to end it all.

When dawn arrived, she quickly changed without waking up everyone else and went to the bullhead platforms to catch the first one leaving to Vale. She knew that the best thing was to finally put an end to the deal Hotaru offered and face consequences as they came. With that purpose, she left the station and walked towards The Night Beetle. Everything would go back to normal soon.

* * *

The alarm at team JNPR's dorm went off an everyone woke up without speaking. That lasted for a total of five seconds before they noticed Pyrrha's bed empty and unmade. The fight was over if only to find Pyrrha; they knew the girl, and she would never leave her bed in that state.

They quickly dressed and ran around looking for her. In the bathrooms, at the cafeteria, on the gardens, in the classrooms, training rooms, but nothing came up.

By the time all other students started to wake up, they had returned to their dorm in defeat. They then saw the girls of RWBY waiting for them at their door with a mixture of confusion and sadness on their eyes. Before any of the members of Team JNPR could question them about what they were doing, Blake showed them something on her scroll: the headline of a sports-themed website.

_ 'Pyrrha Nikos signs millionaire contract with Seido Industries'._


	25. Chapter 25

It made no sense. No matter how they all looked at it, it didn't make any sense. Pyrrha would never join Seido knowing what she did, so why was a conference of their partnership scheduled for that night?

Both teams were now trying to figure out what was happening. Sure, she had been a jerk last night and most would still like an apology for how she behaved; but there was no logical explanation as to why Pyrrha just left and joined them. They tried calling her, but they were sent straight to voice mail and she was not answering any emails. Well over an hour later, the rest of team JNPR received a call; not from Pyrrha, but Goodwitch.

The face of the blonde woman appeared on the screen of Jaune's scroll; and before he could greet her, she spoke directly and obviously trying to hold back her anger. "Mr. Arc, Mrs. Valkyrie, Mr. Ren, please meet me at the entrance of the dormitory building". Jaune then wanted to ask about Pyrrha, but he was immediately cut by Goodwitch once again. "I am aware, Mr. Arc. It is about her".

Her tone showed anger, but the rest of team JNPR just had to hope for the best.

"Go. We'll wait" they heard Ruby say. Without anything else to address; Jaune, Ren, and Nora left.

* * *

Jaune and his team were expecting Goodwitch at the entrance. They were, however, not expecting a group of four women wearing uniforms of Seido Industries with her.

"Mr. Arc, as the team leader the headmaster and I expect a full report with the motive of Mrs. Nikos's sudden departure; and as I was telling miss Cottonfield, I also require Mrs. Nikos's resignation forms".

All four women gave Glynda an unexpressive look. Miss Cottonfield then stepped forward. "I'll tell Miss Nikos about the required document, do not worry madam". She then looked at the three students. "We were ordered to collect Miss Nikos' belongings. You will guide us to your dormitory, and we'll handle the rest".

All three of the remaining JNPR members were willing to start a fight, but Glynda seemed to have read their emotions. "Do as you are told" she ordered them.

Every fiber in their bodies told them to reject her command. But ultimately, they also felt defeated. "Follow us…" Jaune told them with deep emptiness.

* * *

The squad of women was very meticulous when handling Pyrrha's belongings, everyone had to give them that. They folded and placed her clothes in metallic suitcases, the spare parts for her weapons were also stored in custom-made cases, her electronics in a special backpack and her dirty laundry was stored in special bags.

The girls from team RWBY watched in disbelief as Jaune and the others just allowed the women to go into their room and take everything away. "Really guys!? REALLY?" Yang scolded them.

"We are just doing what Goodwitch told us. Do you want to go against her orders? Then be my guest!" Nora answered, clearly angry at what was happening.

As all the women started to leave, Ren and Jaune caught on with Miss Cottonfield. "Can you please tell us why she decided to sign that contract now?" Ren asked her.

The woman just gave him a blank stare but answered him. "That information is irrelevant to my mission. If you wish to know, I suggest you ask her yourselves".

"What do you think we've been doing for the last fifteen minutes!?" Nora yelled from down the hall pointing at her and Weiss' scrolls. Though they have been calling non-stop, Pyrrha never answered.

"Then I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do about that". She then picked her case once again and all the women continued their journey.

"She must have told you to say or give us something, right!?" Jaune asked desperately.

Miss Cottonfield remained still for a moment before addressing one of the other women on the front. "Sonde, you were tasked with that labor".

The girl at the front stopped and nodded after a while. She then grabbed a bag she carried on her back and gave it to Jaune. "If you receive these items now, you are resigning to the right to complain if any item is missing. Do you agree to these terms?". Jaune nodded and the woman gave him the bag and then returned to her position; soon after, they all started to walk again. Before anyone else said anything, Cottonfield addressed them. "This is all that we have and know. There will be no more questions. Thank you for understanding".

As soon as the women left their hall, all seven teens ran into the JNPR room with the bag in hand. It was relatively heavy but also small. They wasted no time in emptying the bag's content on one of the beds, but they were disappointed when all they saw were a notebook with pages torn and one of the bronze balls they used to signal when they infiltrated KHTE's dormitory, but this one had a band around it with waves carved on it. They knew the notebook was most likely her trying to send a message that got intercepted, but the ball made no sense. They decided to put all on hold as they got ready for classes, all but Ren who knew that pattern from somewhere.

None the less, the question in everyone's mind remained the same: What made Pyrrha accept their deal?

* * *

The hotel might have been heavy with security and workers going in and out. But they all knew who she was. Maurice, Marin, and even Mr. Onyx offered to escort her to the Dragon Room. They called Hotaru first, as protocol required. "This better be good!" He warned while containing his anger. "If I am told of one more delay-".

"Mr. Taakoizu, sir!" Mr. Onyx said, interrupting his boss. "Miss Pyrrha Nikos is here to see you".

A long silence was made before Hotaru spoke to them again with a more cordial tone. "Excellent! Please, bring her up".

They did just that, and Pyrrha was now able to see the constant flow of workers replacing tables and cloths, placing metal walls on harnesses on the roof, fixing holes and cracks, and more. She was distracted from them, however, when she saw a young woman leaving Hotaru's office. 'Do I… know her…?'. Her face was familiar, but the bright blue neon-like hair didn't allow her to make a connection. Pyrrha was so distracted by the woman that she never noticed when they all arrived at the doors of the Dragon Room.

Maurice then knocked three times, and almost instantly the doors swung open and she was greeted by Ryu; surprisingly looking as if nothing had happened even though he was clearly covered with bruises and cuts not twenty-four hours ago in the VNN broadcast.

"Miss Nikos!" She heard Hotaru happily calling her from the head of his meeting table which was now serving as a dining table. "Such a wonderful surprise. Would you like to join us for breakfast?".

There was something in the atmosphere that made her feel strange about all this, but she also was not here to fight or cause a scene. "Ok…" she said softly before walking and sitting on the other end of the table in front of Hotaru. She was wearing her regular combat attire and just left her bag carrying her personal belongings next to her chair. Surprisingly, Ryu was now sitting next to Hotaru on his right and she was now able to see Mr. Ko on the left, drinking a cup of tea and reading a newspaper.

"Mr. Onyx, would you please take Miss Nikos' order?". The head waiter wasted no time in taking out his notepad and standing next to Pyrrha. "Um… just some scrambled eggs, please," she told him.

The waiter bowed and left. Pyrrha was ready to tell Hotaru she was not interested in his deal, but he just raised his finger which made her stop. "No business talk during breakfast".

Fortunately, within minutes Mr. Onyx was back with more waiters carrying the substantial breakfast for the Naknada, an oatmeal with toast for Hotaru, eggs, and sausages for Ryu and Pyrrha's eggs. For such an elegant profile when she arrived, she now saw the bald man turn into a beast to eat all his food. Ryu and Hotaru were the complete opposite, composed and careful. When they were all done, the waiters entered once again with what seemed to be very rustic and thick slices of fruit cakes for everyone.

"Please, forgive this unconventional treat for breakfast. I am just unable to start my day without this fruitcake… the same recipe my mother made. I can assure you; it is delicious". Pyrrha did not understand what he was talking about, but she then saw bot Ryu eat the cake in the same way Mr. Ko ate his food. When he saw her looking at him, he then sat up straight and cleaned his mouth with a napkin. "As Ryu can testify… but enough talking. I am sure you are here for the deal. I understand your concerns from last time, so here is what we are going to offer you now: We'll double the money we offered, and we are willing to give you the freedom to negotiate with food companies. We will also not change your attire or physical looks; is that fair?". He asked her, taking a piece of cake to his mouth.

'Ok, Pyrrha… here goes nothing' she thought to herself while taking a deep breath. "I want to thank you for your generous offer… but I must decline!". Hotaru went still with the fork in his mouth. Ryu had stopped licking his plate for crumbs and Mr. Ko just looked puzzled at her. When she noticed none of the men were going to talk, she continued with the excuse she had thought of on her way to the hotel. "I know of your intentions to fight your enemies head-on; and I admire it, honestly. But I am afraid of where I, my family or friends would fall in all of that. I know you'll say that I will be safe, you'll assign me a security team or something, but it is a risk and burden I am not going to place on those close to me, so thank you, but I am not interested".

When she was done, she noticed how all three men looked at her emotionless. Hotaru then cleaned his hands and moved on his chair before saying something she was not expecting. "I completely understand".

Honestly, she was expecting more of what happened on their first night. It took her a short moment to get out of the shock, but she then continued talking. "You… do…?".

"Of course! No one could have seen all these things coming and it makes sense for you to worry about those close to you. Maybe in the future… we could make a deal?".

Pyrrha was surprised. In her mind, everything went way worse. But now, she was free. "Sure!" she told them.

She was then ready to get up and take her bag with her but was then stopped by Hotaru once again. "Oh! I almost forgot…". He said before standing up and heading for a drawer on his desk. He then took a folder with documents and gave it to Mr. Ko who then gave it to Pyrrha.

She was confused, but she grabbed it none the less. "Thanks… but what is this?".

"Why, application papers for Mr. Arc, of course!". He said nonchalantly.

A million emotions then ran over Pyrrha in a matter of a second. She failed to see a connection between all that was happening. All her brain and her mouth managed to ask then was one word. "What?". She was then able to see the mocking smiles in both Mr. Ko and Ryu before looking at Hotaru once again.

"Well, to give him some sort of employment and pay, of course… I don't think he will remain as a student for long after it is revealed he forged his admission papers. Right?" he asked the last part with a gloating smile on his face.

She gasped when he said that and almost fell on the ground had it not been for the wall she now laid upon. "How… how did you…?".

"Why, Pyrrha… you told us!" He said while pointing at the screen which then turned on and showed… her! It was almost as if someone had filmed her from behind, through a crack the door and with a scroll, but what that Pyrrha then said never happened.

"Ugh. I'm so sick of Jaune. Always the last on everything doesn't take his job as a leader seriously and he is such an idiot". "I mean, normal men just need a few winks and swings to know when they can make a move. But him? I am sure I can walk topless and he wouldn't even notice. I should have let Cardin tell Goodwitch about his fake transcript papers- oh!" the girl on the video said while covering her mouth after the 'slip'. "Oh my, I was not supposed to say that… well, as long as it doesn't leave this room…". Then the person who was recording made a snort and the other Pyrrha began to look around. "Did you hear something?" she asked as the person recording then ran away.

The TV screen then turned off and Pyrrha looked at Ryu holding the remote control to the TV. "And that would be the confirmation," Hotaru said making Pyrrha look at him once again. "An obsessed fan who leaks this after an 'anonymous' source revealed the fake transcripts to the headmaster and the media!".

She then tried to take back control of the situation, looking at him with a frown and balled fists. "And why would they believe that 'anonymous' source?".

Hotaru then took out a scroll and threw it to Mr. Ko who then showed it to Pyrrha. The content broke all her bravado once again. "Because my dear; you are the source!". Indeed, her mail was open on that scroll, ready to send the confession to everyone who could unleash a scandal upon Beacon.

"Now, Pyrrha, walk with me through all of this: You are enraged that the one you love ignores your every move on him and is now happily pretending to be in a relationship with a woman who you believe doesn't deserve him. You are so angry, you decided to teach him a lesson and make yourself look like a pillar of honesty and good in these sick world of ours, so you reveal an unworthy cheater to the world who is then humiliated and hated by every single living thing. 'But who told the world about him'? your friends ask. 'Why it was those fiends at Seido!' you then tell them. 'It was a set up against me!'. But… would it be strange for them to think this was all an act of revenge? Especially after the headmaster confirms that the announcement came from you. It'll be a new fight, who told who? Who is telling the truth… and all we know is that your beloved will hate your very existence. Your friends will be divided, and you'll have to carry the guilt for years to come… but I will keep my promise. You won't hear from us ever again. 'So why would they do all this in the first place if they got nothing from you?' your friends will ask".

What little strength she had on her legs finally gave in and she fell on her knees. She remained silent for a moment before answering. "Because you are blackmailing me… work for you… or destroy Jaune's life…".

"What did I tell you Pyrrha? 'Whatever distracts you from your path is a weakness'".

A million things went through her mind, but she settled on one thing: She had to trust her friends did not hate her enough for them to come and save her before anything happened. "I'll sign your contract…".

Hotaru and his lackeys did not have enough time to gloat as a member of security knocked on the door. "Come in!" Hotaru ordered.

The man entered and bowed before speaking. "Lord Hotaru, Mr. Wukong has arrived; he is getting ready".

"Good! We'll be there soon" he told the guard. Hotaru then looked at Pyrrha. "Keep an eye on her until we return; and Miss Nikos," he said, and she looked with pure rage at him. "Make sure to say your proper goodbyes. And no telling!" he said with mockery before leaving her and the guard in the room.

Her fears towards what would happen to her then vanished as another thought came over her. 'What are they going to do to Sun?'.

* * *

Maurice waited patiently at the locker room's entrance until Sun finally emerged. "So sorry Maurice!" he said while panting.

"Well Sun, be thankful I am here to help you get in," the mouse faunus told him. Sun was sure he had arrived early, but he panicked when he noticed everyone was not in their posts and were most likely already gathered in the conference room. Things turned a little better when he saw Maurice who told Sun he would vouch for him and that the meeting could not start without the head of human resources present.

"Yeah, thanks a lot again!".

"My pleasure…" Maurice told him a small smile.

'Weird…' Sun thought. Maurice seemed strangely… self-contained. He was usually more active and genuinely happy when Sun was with him, but he now seemed… angry? As if he was faking being helpful. "Say… Maurice… is everything alright?".

Maurice did not look at him but answered. "I don't know why they wouldn't be". He then turned his face away from Sun. "Not that you would actually care" he then whispered extremely low.

"You said something?".

"Yes! We are here, so take care of your appearance!".

Maurice then opened the door and allowed Sun to enter. But just as he entered, he noticed the lights were out. "Uuuuh… Where is every-" Saun intended to ask, but as he turned around, he saw Maurice close the door behind them. They were now surrounded by total darkness until he saw a shape in the darkness which was then surrounded by a single light and showed it Hotaru, sitting in a folding chair with a female behind him. His confusion turned into panic when he recognized the face of the girl. Carmen Cottonfield, the head that was next to Maurice's.

"Sun! Nice meeting you in person" Hotaru said happily. "Maurice has told me so many wonderful things about you".

Sun remained still for a long time and then jumped when he felt Maurice's hand grabbing his shoulder. "Please, take a seat Sun," Maurice told him as another light revealed a second chair. Not knowing what to do, he complied. Once on his chair, he noticed how Maurice then stood still behind him.

"Um… wasn't there supposed to be a meeting with all the employees?" Sun asked trying to hide his fear.

"Oh, that? Well… it was a lie…" Hotaru told him and Sun now felt as his heart had suddenly stopped. "Maurice said you were such a good employee that he is asking to promote you! He insisted on the announcement being a surprise".

That calmed Sun. "Oh… really? Well, that is awesome! Thank you, man!" Sun said as he turned around to face Maurice. The moment of joy was immediately destroyed, however, when he saw the anger on Maurice's face.

"Carmen, the cups please," Hotaru told the woman. She bowed and walked towards the darkness. "Such a passionate worker… and a huntsman from Mistral?".

"Well… huntsman in training, actually…".

"And so humble. You know, we appreciate what you and the other huntsmen do every day very much".

"You don't say…". Their conversation was interrupted, however, when Carmen returned with the cups filled with champagne.

"Oh, we do. I've spoken with General Ironwood and Professor Ozpin. Such brave people, wouldn't you say?".

"I mean, I guess… I've never met them in person…". That was true. Although it was kind of weird considering he walked all around Ozpin's school.

"I was going to meet Professor Lionheart. Your headmaster, if I'm not mistaken".

"Yes… nice guy, good teacher… a little easy to scare, but a great fighter".

"I can only imagine. Are you close?".

At that moment Sun felt Hotaru was getting a little too carried away with trying to find information on him. "No offense, sir. But why should you care about that?". He immediately regretted asking that as Hotaru's face morphed into a frown.

"I asked for a meeting with the headmaster. I sent him special clearances to use when he came. And the attackers gained access to those clearances". Sun did not hide his shock at all. In his mind, there was no clear connection between Professor Leonardo Lionheart, the headmaster of Heaven Academy, one of the most influential figures in Remnant, with these terrorists. Hotaru did not stop to explain this link, however. "Imagine my surprise when Maurice tells me that you, a student of his, is working here".

Sun had no idea what Hotaru was trying to imply. "Sir, I can assure you that I am not close to Professor Lionheart. I haven't done anything against you anyway!".

"Are you sure you haven't done anything that could compromise you?" Hotaru asked coldly.

"I am!" Sun said while crossing his arms.

They remained looking at each other's eyes for a long while. Hotaru then smirked. "Maurice!".

The mouse faunus then got next to his boss; and to Sun's surprise and horror, he saw Maurice opening his coat and shirt to reveal his chest. Hotaru then grabbed the skin of his belly and pulled it, ripping it from his chest and dropping it on the floor.

Sun almost fell from his chair terrorized, not expecting to see what just happened. But before he could scream, he was now able to see the bright metal that was under that skin. Hotaru then inserted a strange key on where Maurice's sternum should be before talking. "Maurice, show him what you showed me yesterday". Maurice's eyes then turned bright blue and a 3D projection of when Sun was on the horror shop played.

When the memory stopped, Hotaru then looked at Sun again. He did not say anything and just snapped his left fingers.

So focused was Sun on the other man that he never noticed when Carmen and Maurice got behind him. It took them a fraction of a second to get their electric brass-knuckles out which they then used to punch Sun in the face and ribs. The electric shocks were bad on their own, but those two packed a strong punch despite their size and build.

Sun fell on the ground, dizzy from the pain and the shocks; but neither Carmen nor Maurice stopped their attack. They kicked and stomped on him for minutes until his aura finally broke, but they kept going. His muscles were sore, he was sure there had to be a broken bone somewhere and his face was now a bloated and bloody mess. "Enough!" Hotaru ordered the other two just before Sun lost conscience. Hotaru then kneeled to speak to him directly. "I know you are hiding something, and I'll make you talk. Maurice! Send him to The Pyramid!".

* * *

"Kuai Liang… Kuai Liang!" Ermac whispered to his teammate.

"Yes, Ermac?" Sub Zero answered trying not to lose the paragraph he was currently reading.

"Don't 'they' look… weird to you?" Ermac said while pointing to the top desks where RWBY and JNR sat.

The news of Pyrrha's new position spread faster than any rumor before ever did. And with a press conference scheduled later that day, Pyrrha was now everyone's subject. To the dismay of her friends, everyone saw what happened as an awesome career opportunity, not as an evil entity that managed to get their hands on her freedom.

"They're sad because that girl Pyrrha left. They'll get over it; we should instead be thinking of a new attack plan" Smoke told them. Nights of planning and stakeouts were ruined because of the terrorist attacks against The Night Beetle, so every ninja was now well beyond tired and annoyed.

Their afternoon was also not helping them. All students present were at History class reading whatever they needed for an essay. Oobleck had also left for an unrelated meeting and now their former stalkers were doing nothing interesting. That is until someone started to heavily bang the doors to the classroom; almost as if that person were trying to tear down the doors. One student stood and opened it, but was quickly pushed away by Neptune who entered and looked all over the room until he found his targets.

"You! With me! Now!" was all he said.

"Neptune, what on earth are you-?" Weiss tried to ask.

"I said NOW!".

Teams RWBY and JNR said nothing more and just followed his command. Everyone was at first puzzled by what just happened but quickly ignored it when the bell rang. When only KHTE was left in the room, Smoke then looked at his teammates. "That was at least something… should we…?".

"No" Hanzo answered before Smoke could finish his question.

* * *

Neptune took everyone to the RWBY dorm and slammed the door shut.

"Neptune! You better have a good explanation as to why-" Weiss began to ask but was immediately stopped when he grabbed her shoulder and began to shake her back and forth.

"THEY GOT HIM! THEY GOT SUN!" he yelled while looking at her eyes.

"WHAT!?" Blake then yelled. "Neptune! Calm down and explain!". She ordered him as she made him drop Weiss.

Neptune took a deep breath and began his explanation. "I was standing guard as usual. Sun went in early because of the meeting, but, like, a half an hour later a van that said, 'The Pyramid' arrived and I saw them taking Sun away with cuffs and all beaten up!". He then looked around as if he had just noticed something was missing "Hold on… where is Pyrrha?".

Nora was the one who explained to him what happened in the morning; and soon after, everyone was expressing their concern about their now two missing friends. They were then shushed by Ren who was looking at his scroll. Everyone went silent and then looked at what was on his device. To their disappointment, it was the press conference of Seido Industries.; thankfully, it was on mute so they could not listen to Hotaru talking; but Ren seemed more interested when Pyrrha went on the podium. "Nora! Get me a picture of Pyrrha in her combat gear!".

"Renny? What are you-".

"DO IT!". No one said anything as she then went online and found a picture. She then showed it to Ren. His seriousness then turned into joy as he then stormed off the room and went to his room. "I knew it!" was all he said before leaving.

All others ran to the other room and found Ren trying to take the pattern off from the bronze sphere. "Ren! What are you doing!?" Nora yelled at him.

Not stopping what he was doing, he just told them his realization. "Look at her now on the podium and now look at the picture you found. Notice any differences?".

They did just that, and slowly but surely, they all saw it: She was now missing her upper arm ring.

Weiss then raised her concerns. "Are you sure that is her ring?".

"I am! I… just… need... to…" he struggled in trying to take that thing off.

"Let me at it!" Yang told him and took the ball from him. She then activated her gauntlets and punched the ball, firing a dust round at the same time and making the object fly to the wall on the other side. It buried itself on the wall, and just as everyone was ready to reprehend Yang, they saw that the ring had loosened.

"Alright, Yang!" Nora cheered as Ruby went to retrieve the now loose object, and when she did, she got her hopes up again.

"Guys! There's a message in here!". This was, indeed, great news. Pyrrha was trying to communicate with them. They now had a chance to help her, and better of all was that she had not joined Seido out of her own free will.

It took them some effort to make the ring flat, but once they did, they were able to read the message.

_'They know about IT, Jaune'._

Their hopes went down once again, however, when none could understand the message.

"Come on! What is that supposed to mean!?" Neptune yelled.

"Everyone calm down!" Ruby told them. "Nora, Ren, Jaune, we need you to think very hard. Pyrrha is trying to tell us Seido knows something that allows them control over her. Do you have any idea what that could mean?".

The three teens thought as hard as they could, but nothing came up. "Sorry, Ruby. I got nothing" Nora told her.

"She is a good student, she holds no secrets from us, she is always willing to help others" Ren added.

"Are you all sure? Maybe she… I don't know… cheated on a competition or something?" Neptune then asked.

Nora, Jaune, and Ren were willing to beat him after suggesting that. But they also knew he had only said it because he was just throwing ideas around.

Something then occurred to Weiss. "Hold on… The message includes Jaune".

"So?" asked Yang.

"So… it might be something only the two of them know!".

Everyone then looked at Jaune, expecting him to come with the answer immediately; but he just looked at everyone with the same confusion. "Guys, I know just as much as Nora and Ren. Pyrrha is not a bad person, she has no dirt on her, or at least she has never told me any for this to happen".

"Wait…" Neptune said shortly after. "Maybe it's not her… maybe it's you!".

"What?" Jaune asked back.

"Hear me out. She wrote 'IT' in caps, so it is a secret and the message IS directed to you; so, it must be something you both know. You three tell us there is nothing on her, so maybe it has something to do with you!".

Jaune got up and began to walk around the room. "Ok… let's say it's that. What could they possibly have on me that affects her?".

"I don't know… maybe it's something like your sixth toe?". As unimportant as that piece of trivia was right now, everyone did look confused at what Neptune just said. "Oh… sorry, dude. I didn't mean to tell everyone".

Jaune however, was simply confused by what Neptune said. "Sixth toe? What are you… talking… about…?". Then it hit him; Jaune went stiff and felt as if the room was now a frozen wasteland. Everyone noticed and began to ask what was wrong with him, but their voices were just faint echoes to him right now. After a moment he felt as if his legs could not hold his weight anymore and he almost fell to the ground, his accelerating heartbeat was all he could hear now and soon, his voice was repeating the same message on his head. 'How? How could they? It's impossible! How!? HOW!?'.

"JAUNE!" he heard Ruby's faint voice say before a slap on his face brought him back. He saw everyone looking at him with concern; but when he locked eyes with Rube, she began to apologize. "Sorry! But… you were being super weird, you almost fainted, and even though we called your name, you just-".

"Out!" he said. Everyone was not sure what he was suggesting.

"Jauny… what are you-" Nora tried to reason with him.

"I said out". He repeated. All present exchanged confused looks, but before they could express their concern, he yelled one final time. "I SAID OUT!". He then turned around and flipped one of their desks before punching the wall and kicking the chair.

All the other seven teens left the room slowly; Ren was the last to leave. "We'll be out on the hall… call if you need us" he said before slowly shutting the door.

With everyone out, Jaune took a moment to let the silence settle in. He then fell on his knees and cried on his open palms while repeating the same thing in a low voice. "It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault…".


	26. Chapter 26

It had been well over a half-hour since Jaune had kicked them to the hall. During that time, faint cries, screams, and banging were heard by all. Ruby was desperate to go back in and ask what was happening to him, but Ren, Nora and Neptune kept her from reaching the door. "When he is ready, he will let us back" Ren kept repeating to her in different ways.

The noise stopped after a while and was then followed by a long silence. Everyone started to feel scared as if Jaune had finally hurt himself or worse. Luckily, he opened the door a short time later; but neither he nor the room was in a good state. Jaune's eyes were completely red, and as for the room, the beds were turned over and unmade. His books and school supplies were scattered throughout the floor and the wall had dents of different depths. Jaune then moved back in and sat in one of the beds massaging his face and not looking at any of them. They, in turn, just stood in complete silence in front of him, waiting for the boy to reveal what was happening.

"I believe I know what they discovered…" Jaune finally said to them. He removed his hand, looked at all of them with apologetic eyes, and continued. "Before I tell you, promise me that I will be part of this; I owe her this much. When it is done, I can go away, you'll never hear from me again, you can insult me, degrade me, tell everyone what a loser I am, but let this be the last good thing I do here" he told them almost breaking into tears again.

Having never seen a breakdown like this, no one knew what to respond. Weiss then took a step forward. "I promise, Jaune". She then looked at everyone else and they all nodded with a degree of concern. "Now off with it! What could be so bad?".

Jaune took one final long breath. He then swallowed some spit and gave himself a final talk. 'Here goes nothing…'. "I… I faked my admission papers for Beacon!". After not hearing any sort of noise from the others, he then opened his eyes.

To say all others were shocked would be an understatement. Some looked as if they were still trying to process what he just said. Others looked at him as if he just said incomprehensible gibberish.

"You… faked your… transcripts…?" Blake asked him while also trying to understand each of the words he said. Jaune just nodded.

"So… wait… you failed combat school and somehow got accepted?" asked Weiss trying to understand. He then shook his head.

"Hold on. No combat school either!?" Yang asked surprised. He nodded again.

"And Pyrrha found out about this?" Ren asked him.

"I told her. She then decided to personally train me to catch up with you guys".

"Whew… that explains a lot!" Nora commented with genuine surprise.

The moment of silence that followed was then interrupted by Neptune who quickly ran next to Jaune with a raised fist and delivered a punch straight into his jaw that made the blond fall into the ground. As everyone was now getting ready to scold Neptune, he then began to yell at them. "NO! Not anymore! He is gonna listen right now!".

The blue-haired boy then turned around and looked at Jaune who was massaging his cheek. "What the hell, Nep- whoa!" the blond managed to say before being picked up by the older boy who then started to shake him back and forth.

"She hid this from everyone! She sacrificed her own time to help you become better! How many more signs did you need, you idiot!?".

"Signs… what… help… huh!?".

"She is in love with you, moron! Madly! Foolishly! She would give up an arm and a leg for you! What more proof do you need!?".

"Neptune! Stop it!" Weiss ordered him.

"Oh no, I won't. He needs to hear this!".

Jaune took advantage of Neptune's distraction to then push the other boy away. "How many times do I have to tell you. It-is-not-like-that! Tell him Weiss!" he said that with confidence, but the anger in his face turned into confusion when the girl said nothing and just looked away while stroking her arm. "Well… Ren, Nora, you know Pyrrha. She is… not…". They in turn just crossed their arms and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He then looked at the other three members of RWBY.

"She was not hiding it," Ruby said defensively.

"We caught on to it almost immediately" continued Blake.

"I mean… It was really obvious, 'babe'" Yang said sarcastically.

He might not be dying, but his entire relationship with his partner flashed in front of his eyes. "Oh, come on! Am I that stupid!?" he screamed as he began to hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. Now it all made sense! She was jealous! She was madly in love with him and he just acted as if that shouldn't have bothered her. How many broken hearts had he seen with his sisters and not one served as a clue to him? And then it hit him, he treated her like a sister.

Jaune was ready to go down the spiral but was thankfully taken out of it by Weiss. "Jaune! Control yourself!" she yelled at him. "Ok… now that we know what they have against her, what is next?".

That seemed to take Neptune's mind off Jaune. "We need to rescue Sun!" he said while standing up. "If all that we heard about The Pyramid is true…" he said before trailing off. "I don't even want to think what they'll do to him".

"What about Pyrrha?" then asked Nora.

Ren grabbed her by the shoulders to try and calm her down. "Trust me, I am just as worried, but I believe Sun is was more danger right now". With that, everyone set their priorities in order: Save Sun and then save Pyrrha.

"Do we even know where that Pyramid place is?" asked Yang.

"Found it!" exclaimed with excitement Blake. That, in turn, turned into disappointment when she kept on reading. "Crap! It's somewhere down the road to Mistral!".

"So?" Asked Nora.

"It means he is already far away. And from the time it took Neptune to get here, they must have already loaded him on a bullhead or kept on driving".

"So that means…?" Nora asked trying to get more information.

"It means, Nora, that It will take us hours to get there. And that is not counting how long it will take us to get a vehicle" Answered Ren.

"Which we don't have" Yang continued that thought. Sure, she had Bumblebee, but two people in one motorcycle against who knows what kind of mechanical monstrosities did not play good odds in their favor.

"Should we tell Ozpin then?" Asked Ruby. "They have a student from Haven. That would also make Professor Lionheart help us!".

"Declaring all-out war against a company like Seido is not that easy, Ruby!" Weiss scolded. "First, they must make sure that we are telling the truth, and Seido would be formally warned, so that would give them time to escape with Sun! Even worse, they will know someone is on their trail".

"Then how are we supposed to get there immediately without Seido knowing? It's not like we have a teleportation device!" Nora screamed.

Almost immediately then, an idea occurred to Yang. "I have an idea, it's crazy, but it might just work!".

Some were confused, some were exited; only Weiss was angry. "Yang! No! you can't be suggesting what I think you are going to say!".

"Do you have a better idea, Ice-Queen!?".

"How do you know they will be willing to even help us!?".

"I don't. But what other choices do we have!?".

Everyone had then figured out what Yang's plan was. But as much of a long shot as it was, there were not many more options.

"I'm in!" Ruby said with a hand up. Soon after, Nora, Ren, and Neptune joined in, some clearly holding back their doubts.

Blake took her time, but eventually joined in. "You better be sure about this Yang".

Even though there was a clear majority, everyone then turned to look at Jaune. "What?" he asked them with fear and concern present on his voice.

"This decision involves all of us Jaune," Weiss said with her arms crossed. "And, for better or worse, I did agree and convince everyone to let you help until Pyrrha is safe". The tone of her voice was revealing enough to him. She always saw him as the weakest link, and now she was able to confirm it. But she was also a woman of her word, so she would not try to get rid of him yet, at least.

Jaune then turned to look at his teammates. "I know you are here for a reason, Jeauney!" Nora said cheerfully.

"I can't say I am pleased; but until further notice, you are my team leader. And you'll always be my friend" Ren told him.

Looking at the rest of RWBY, he was more than able to see the acceptance of Ruby's face. Blake seemed more on Ren's line of thought, and Yang just looked at him with a raised eyebrow before speaking. "Let's see how we come out of this, then we'll talk about revealing secrets".

Jaune could not ask for any deal better than this one. So, without further thought, he announced his decision. "Lead the way, Yang!". He then stood up, feeling better for the moment, and they all marched towards the only people that could help them.

* * *

At the library, team KHTE was currently sitting in one of the many desks next to the entrance. The expressions on their faces, however, were not ones of happiness.

"They are now covering three blocks around the building," Smoke told his team with a crude map he drew. "The entrance via the garbage chute is also gone and they change their patrols with an unknown method at unknown times. Our best course of action? We now need to do double the stakeouts".

"That means we would have to constantly miss classes," Hanzo told him.

"And even if we rotate, the teachers will notice and then start asking questions". Sub Zero concluded.

No matter how much they tried, they were unable to make a new attack plan that worked on their favor. Worse of all, Sektor already knew they were here so his troops were more than ready to counter the infiltration techniques used by both Lin Kuei and Shirai Ryu. They kept thinking about what to do until they saw a pencil rolling over the map. That was the alert Ermac agreed to give them when they needed to act normally or when danger was close. Not soon after, a female hand wearing a black fingerless glove slammed their table. All members of KHTE looked up to see Yang. Surprisingly enough for them, she was not playful, angry, scared, or showing any of the emotions they normally saw in her. If anything, it showed determination. She wanted something out of them.

"Can… we help you…?" Sub Zero asked.

"Cut the act, Scarface!" she told him.

Funny enough, only one person in Remnant ever used that nickname on him, and if he looked closely… Yang could almost look like…

"We need your help!" she told them after a while.

Now knowing that more than one person was interested in them, Sub Zero looked at Hanzo. The other boy tapped his pen twice on the table pointing towards behind Sub Zero. There were two behind him. He then looked at Smoke who sniffed twice on his left and once on his right nostril; there were two on Kuai Liang's right and one on his left. Finally, Ermac scratched his eyebrow with two fingers, and he was able to see two people standing still behind another table in front of him.

Sub Zero, however, was calm. They looked to be on the defensive, so there was no risk of this being an attempt on their lives. "We are flattered, but we are not tutoring," he told her as he was then returning to his notes.

"Cut the acting, pal. I know you are related to Seido somehow". All ninjas stopped what they were doing and looked at Yang with eyes wide open. "You use the same dragon symbol they use".

"We do not know what you are talking about, Yang" Hanzo then said. "Now please; leave us, or-".

"I know where the place they use to turn people into machines is!". That did it. The ninjas looked at her once again.

"What did you say?" Sub Zero asked her.

"I know you do not want to hurt us, or the school. You would have done something bad by now otherwise. I also trust Hanzo". She said looking at the yellow ninja. "We have information about their company," she said while showing them quick glimpse and screenshots of their recovered data. "All we ask in return is that you help us recover a friend who is in danger". They said nothing and just kept looking at her, expecting more answers. "A friend of ours was kidnapped by Seido. We also know that whatever that place where they are taking him to is bad. If he returns, it'll be like if he was… a robot".

All ninjas then looked around to see what Yang's 'security' was going to do next. After a moment, they then stood up. "Follow us!" Ermac ordered. "And tell your allies to keep their distance. Or else!".

That last part took Yang by surprise. She expected them to try and be threatening, but there was something in the way Ermac said it that made her believe it. None the less, she agreed to their terms.

* * *

Team KHTE took all teens to the bathroom from the other night. Yang then wasted no time expressing her concerns. "So… why did you bring us-". Almost instantly, Smoke turned around and fired a cloud under Yang which made her disappear Just as the others arrived. They were already getting their weapons out but never noticed when Sub Zero used his ice blasts to freeze their feet and then Ermac using his telekinesis to take their weapons away. Then, as soon as they were weaponless, Yang reemerged from a cloud on the roof and fell on her back. Hanzo then grabbed her by the wrists, forced on her knees, and placed the spear on her neck. The situation was tense, but it only got worse when the spear got so hot it started to shine a bright red and white.

"You are right; we do have a connection with Seido". Sub Zero said, but his tone and face emanated an aura of threat and danger. "But you are also right by distinguishing us from them". That calmed things down a little… only a little. "Now… why are you seeking our help specifically? And how did you manage to get this 'information' from Seido?".

Yang was genuinely having a panic attack right now. Even with aura, that spear could still cause so much pain. She then looked at the others, who even though were angry, knew there were no other moves for them to make. She then gulped and answered. "We started following Seido because we found out they were dealing with big-time criminals; but the more we investigated, the stranger things got. One of our friends started to work on the hotel as a spy, and thanks to him we got some files, but we are unable to read them". That checked out. There was no reason as to why Sektor would change the way he did things only because he was now on another universe. "But that friend was kidnapped earlier today. The place where they took him is very far away, there is no way we can reach him by normal means, but we know you guys can somehow teleport".

"So, you admit you were following us the other night?" Hanzo asked her.

"Yeah, obviously I just did!".

"And what is stopping us from getting the coordinates to this 'factory' by other means?" Sub Zero asked.

"Because you are not bad people. I now know you guys might be messed up, but you know we are not your enemies. You would have started killing us one by one otherwise to make sure I was telling the truth".

Sub Zero thought deeply about what to do now. After a long time, he then spoke. "Ermac, break the ice!". The red ninja then used the weapons he was holding to do that. "Hanzo, let her go!". The other ninja just nodded and followed that order.

Yang then fell to the floor as all of team KHTE stepped back and aligned themselves. All the other seven students ran to help Yang, and some looked at the ninjas with anger. That quickly dissipated when they saw the complete seriousness with which the other four were looking at them. "Name your terms". Sub Zero told them.

Ruby and Jaune then stepped forward. "You will take us with you". Jaune told them.

"We know who is it that we are looking for, and he will trust familiar faces after what we think might have happened". Ruby continued.

KHTE did not break their formation. They just looked at each other and nodded in approval. Smoke then stepped out of line and went inside the bathroom. Everyone else stayed still until Smoke returned from the bathroom. "All set," he said before going back in.

"We'll be back with our terms," Sub Zero told them. "It is now we who ask for your trust".

"Do we have another choice?" Neptune asked. A hint of annoyance in his voice.

"We vow to return" was all Sub Zero said.

They waited a few seconds before Weiss then went and opened the door; and just as she was expecting, they were now gone.

* * *

_**\- Seconds before -**_

"Mjr. Briggs, we are ready. Open the portal!" Sub Zero said to a medallion, and shortly after, a light blue portal emerged in the middle of the bathroom. "Gentlemen…" he said while pointing to the portal. All the ninjas walked through it and were teleported to the now little-less-decrepit house where they first arrived.

One of the major changes was that now the living room had fourteen seats, and just as Ermac entered first, a gun was now being pointed on the side of his head. "General Sonya Blade," the red ninja said with his multiple voices and eyes glowing green. "Are we still doing this?" the voices said, clearly tired of this routine.

"You may have gained Raiden's trust, Ermac. But we still have a lot of ground to cover". Said a young blonde woman with a ponytail and a short bang of hair over her left eye wearing a brown leather jacket over a black midriff shirt, camo pants, a black bandana, and black combat boots.

"We apologized for what happened in Outworld years ago". Ermac reminded her.

Sonya then placed her pistol back on its holster before stepping aside and allowing Ermac to enter. "But Jax's arms have not grown back yet, have they?" she asked sarcastically.

"General" Hanzo greeted her before taking one of the seats. "Enjoying the spell of youth, it seems".

"Hey! Scorpy! Eyes off the lady!". A young brunette man with shades, a blue rolled-up blue shirt, black vest hoodie, and jeans said as he stepped in with a bag of chips in hand. Hanzo's smile disappeared as his hand began to produce fire. "Sorry, sorry, forgot about that. My bad".

Another portal then opened and from it, four more figures emerged. "Liu-Liu. Lao" the brunette greeted.

"Johnny Cage… great to see you too" said one of the men in the group, annoyance present in his voice. He was wearing a dark blue vest with a silver dragon design over a blue shirt, blue pants, strapped boots, and a loincloth with red markings on it. His most notorious feature, however, was a metallic hat over his deep black braided hair.

His companion, a young man with shoulder-length black hair wearing a red bandana, a white robe-like shirt, a black vest, and black pants and shoes, on the other hand, decided to ignore the nickname and addressed all others present. "Sorry for the delay. Sadly, Kitana and Jade will not be able to join us this night. It happened just as she announced a bid for student representative".

"Ever the politician," Cage said while patting the other man's shoulder. "I feel you, man. For my lady, it's the army-way or the highway".

Their conversation was then interrupted when one last person: a big dark-skinned young man with metal arms wearing a brown vest over a black shirt, green cargo pants, and black boots smoking a cigar. "Don't worry, Liu Kang. Old Kenshi is also out. Poor guy got stuck in tutor duty".

"Aren't you a little young to be smoking, Major?" Asked the man with the hat.

"Very funny, Kung Lao. I've been dying to get one of these for weeks! Damn academy rules!".

Soon, everyone took a seat and Sonya activated a small machine which then projected a hologram of Fujin. "Thank you for coming on so short notice, everyone. Master Kuai Liang, I beg of you to make this meeting short. You all are more than aware of the amount of energy that requires communicating through the tears" the hologram said.

Wasting no time. Sub Zero stood up and addressed everyone. "As you know, the invaders from Orderrealm are based on Vale; and our most recent plan to infiltrate them was ruined because of the terrorist attack". Everyone nodded in acknowledgment. "Not only that, but we are now more than sure that Sektor is a full-time collaborator of them, but knowing him, his main factory is not in the hotel".

Sonya then leaned forward and spoke to him "Well… then we just need to figure out the coverup they are using for the factory, get there, make a plan, and attack". Everyone but the ninjas nodded in agreement.

Sub Zero then took a quick breath before continuing. "About that… we have bad news and good news". Now everyone was looking disappointed. "Seido Industries has well over fifty facilities and businesses throughout Remnant".

"That is not including their more than one hundred third-party businesses" Smoke added.

Cage then sighed before interrupting them. "You are not making a good pitch here, guys. Better get things up or the investors are gone!".

Hanzo then stood up. "The good news is that we have a source, that we believe is trustworthy, who can pinpoint an exact location for the main factory".

Johnny Cage was about to begin a preemptive celebration but was then stopped by Sonya. "Looking at your faces, I have a feeling we won't like what is coming next". She then crossed her arms before resting her back on the chair once again. "There are conditions, aren't there?".

The ninjas went silent for a moment, but then Sub Zero continued. "One of their friends was captured by Seido Industries. They are offering the factory's location and classified information in exchange for us allowing them to come and help their friend".

Everyone then turned towards Fujin, their de facto guide, who was thinking deeply about what to do. "Maybe we can convince them to let us do the rescue. We would need to reveal ourselves slowly before negotiations start".

"Actually…" Smoke then said. "We need to attack tonight".

The quiet and formal discussion then turned into a nagging fest as everyone present but Fujin expressed their discontent for the situation. After a while, Sonya then shot pink energy from her wrist-guns and managed to make everyone silent. Johnny then raised his hand and spoke soon after. "Guys, we can't do it without raising suspicions. We are here now because it's free time, but Sonya scheduled a meeting with General Ironwood about following a lead on a new black market boss; and if we miss it, White-haired Sonya is going to grill us and keep us under surveillance twenty-four-seven!".

While Cage was telling the truth about Ironwood's right-hand woman punishing them for missing the meeting, Sony had more than made clear her dislike of said comparison. "For the last time, Johnny: I-am-no-thing-like-her!". She then looked at Jax while pointing at Johnny.

To her dismay, he did not back her up. "Come on, girl; don't make me do this".

It was then Liu Kang who expressed his concern. "We are unable to help as well. As soon as Kitana's event is over, we must follow a shady investor from Mistral. We believe he has proof of the Brotherhood of Shadow acting up in our kingdom. If we lose him tonight, there will be no more leads".

"Ok, ok, everyone, I know we all look hot as hell, but let's think this like adults". Johnny told everyone before he faced the ninjas. "Maybe your source is a good and reliable one. So, who is going to reveal the location of the Tekunin horror-shop?".

Sub Zero and his team could not blame the others for being against an immediate raid. They were also more than sure that the next piece of information would do anything but help their cause. "It's a group of huntsmen…" Sub Zero started and everyone listened. "Their main negotiator is named Yang Xiao Long". Now came the big one. "And they are students from Beacon".

Surprisingly, no one in the room said anything. They just looked at the ninjas with concern. "Pass!" Johnny Cage then said before turning around and sitting down.

"Wait… what?" then asked Kung Lao.

Johnny then wasted no time expressing his concern. "They can't be any older than eighteen; they are still children. And I, for one, am not in favor of leaving any parent child-less!".

On a past time, Johnny's words would have never left his mouth. But now, they understood where his concern came from.

"The conditions of this universe shape the fates of teenagers in a different way, Johnny Cage". Liu Kang said calmly. "They know that danger and death await at a young age and some train to fight against it".

"Uhh, no. They train to fight mutant animals, not to be maimed by killer ninja robots! Hell, maybe the sicko wants some teen-droids or something. Are they even aware of what they are digging themselves into!? Besides, what happened to complete secrecy!?".

Sonya, surprisingly, then patted his back. "Johnny, you know this is not on the same level as Cas, right? You know she would travel any known and unknown realm to help one of her own, those kids are doing the same". His face still showed he was not on board, but at least he was listening. "Liu Kang is right, what they do at a young age it's amazing, and if they are willing to bring him back it's because they are capable. You are right, I am not entirely comfortable sending kids to Sektor's shop, but if the masters trust them, maybe we should?".

Johnny thought for a moment what she about what she said, and after a long time, he then replied with one question. "How many are they?".

"Eight" Hanzo answered.

"You only take half at most! Also: You do the fighting IF there is any; they get their friend and get out".

The ninjas nodded among themselves and then everyone looked at Fujin's hologram. "I can't say I am in favor of having inhabitants of this world fighting our battles. But I also know that time is of the essence. When this is over, all of them are out of this. No one else finds out, understood?".

The ninjas then placed their left fist against their right palms and bowed. "Understood, Lord Fujin".

"Good. Dismissed!".

* * *

"Do you think they bailed on us?" Weiss asked a worried Ruby.

"I want to believe they didn't" she answered her partner.

Most of the conspirators were sitting on the floor in front of the bathroom doors. Only Yang and Neptune were standing; Yang tapping her foot against the floor hopping her gut was right telling them they knew some of the truth about Seido Industries, and Neptune walking back and forth, dreading what could be happening to Sun right now.

Everything then changed when they heard the mechanisms of the door turning, and their hopes went up when KHTE emerged from the bathroom to form the same line as before. They all then looked at Yang, and she walked away from her group to stand in front of Sub Zero. When she was in place, the other boys then took a step back. "Before we agree to anything, we have conditions," he told her; and even though she was trying to appear intimidating to them, they still emanated dread with only the seriousness on their faces. "One: Only four of you will accompany us to this mission; where we are about to go is beyond dangerous, and the fewer people go, the better. Two: You will stop conspiring against Seido; there is more to this than you know, and you are better not knowing beyond what you will see tonight. Three: You are not to tell of what happens tonight to any other living soul; if you do, we will find out".

They knew from the tone and way he said it that the last part was more than truth. Yang then turned around and faced the whispering faces of her allies. After a moment, they all nodded. Jaune then quickly got to the front and spoke to the ninjas. "I have one more favor to ask after this: Please save Pyrrha Nikos. She is being held hostage by the heads of Seido, and I fear for what could happen to her".

Kuai Liang's face showed no emotion. Tomas then whispered something on his ear, and he seemed to consider what the other said. He then looked at Jaune and answered his request. "Fine. But all of you will owe us a favor; no questions asked. We promise the favor will not put any of your lives or reputations in danger".

"Deal!" Yang quickly said and presented her open hand. Kuai Liang then shook it.

"Choose the four people who will come with us. We will all go to the dormitories, so leave five minutes after us. Make sure no one follows you" was all Kuai Liang said before he and his team left.

When the five minutes head-start was over, the eight teens then made their ways to the dormitory building.

* * *

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

* * *

**_Sorry if I didn't have all members of the other teams show up. Too many cooks in a kitchen._**  
**_For references:_**

**_-MK11 Normal Liu Kang_**

**_-MKX human Kung Lao_**

**_-Mk11 Jade (Honored tradition costume) _**

**_-MK11 Kitana (Edenian Blue)_**

**_-MKX Johnny Cage_**

**_-MK:SM Sonya_**

**_-MK11 Normal Jax (No beard)_**

**_-MKX Normal Kenshi _**


	27. Chapter 27

The sun was starting to set. All eight huntsmen in training were now wearing their combat clothes and had already chosen who were going along with team KHTE to rescue Sun. Three sudden knocks on the door then took everyone out of their thoughts. Ruby slightly opened the door and saw Tomas still wearing his uniform. "Come!" he ordered them; and without any complaining, they all followed in complete silence.

He took them over to the bathroom once again where the other members of KHTE were waiting on their combat clothes and resting against the wall. Kuai Liang then stepped out of line and walked to stand in front of Yang. "Who will be coming with us, and why?" he asked her.

She, in turn, answered him without looking at her group. "Ruby: She might be the youngest and her weapon big, but her semblance gives her speed and can move long distances fast and quietly. Neptune: He is the closest friend of our target, Sun Wukong. Seeing him will make Sun trust you immediately. Neptune has a hydrokinesis semblance, but he doesn't like to use it" Kuai Liang seemed disappointed about that, but nodded none the less. "Blake and Ren: They are our infiltration team, so they are more than silent and discrete. Blake can create a static clone of herself that will banish upon contact, Ren can hide his and the emotions of a person who he is touching. They were also the ones who got the information from Seido Industries, so they are our best in the field".

Kuai Liang looked at the four teens standing next to Yang. Only Ren seemed to be able to hide his fear as Yang said, but the other three had tells. Ruby kept looking at him with quivering eyes and lips, Neptune was shaking on the spot and Blake, to her credit, stayed still but her eyes kept focusing on different things except for Kuai Liang.

"Very well…" he told them. "Where is the factory?" he then asked Yang.

"The place you are looking for is The Pyramid. 29.9773 degrees north, 31.1325 east" Yang then answered.

After a moment, Hanzo then walked to stand next to Kuai Liang. "The coordinates and the place are real. We are ready" he told the other man.

"Everyone in!" Kuai Liang ordered and they all followed.

Once inside the bathroom, Ermac then gave the four teens going with them black hoods that covered their mouths and noses. "Once we arrive, your identities are your most valuable possession. Do not, under any circumstances, allow them to see your face".

Neptune then raised his hand. "Let's say they do get a look at us. What can be done?".

"Are you ready to kill the person who saw you?". Neptune just shook his head quickly after hearing him state that. Not that everyone wouldn't act the same. "Then you better not get seen," he told all before looking at the ones not going. "Tomas will be staying behind to keep an eye on you until we return!". Some expressed indignation trough their faces, but nothing else could be said now. Once everything was said and done, Kuai Liang then took out an amulet shaped like the dragon serpent. "We are ready. Open the portal!".

The sentence had not been processed by any of the eight conspirators before a light blue portal as tall as the room opened and made a soft swoop sound while lightly pulling the air towards it. All teens were now in shock with their eyes and mouths wide open.

"What… is…?" Nora managed to ask while pointing at the portal.

"A portal. And you are to speak about it to no one" they then heard a collection of voices say at the same time. They looked for the source and saw Ermac levitating with his eyes glowing green. "We are ready, Kuai Liang".

"Good!" the blue ninja said as Hanzo went through first and was then followed by Ermac. Sub Zero then looked at the four students. "Your turn," he told them as they slowly and carefully walked through. Kuai Liang then turned around and faced Tomas. "If we are not back by sunrise, sound the alarm". Then, for the first time since this began, everyone saw Kuai Liang's face morph into a calm smile. "Be stealthful as the night…" he said with his right fist on the chest and slightly bowing.

"… And deadly as the dawn" Tomas said back while doing the same gestures. Kuai Liang seemed satisfied and marched towards the portal. Once he was through, it closed without making any noise.

* * *

Blake, Neptune, Ren, and Ruby felt as if they had been pulled inside out and then pulled back in once they went through the portal. But that feeling was soon replaced by pure amazement when they saw the trees surrounding them. They also noticed the darkness in the sky, indicating it was already nighttime as opposed to the time on their scrolls which still marked late afternoon. They were taken out of their shock by Kuai Liang who called for their attention. "Put your masks on!" he ordered, and they all followed. "Once we enter, you will address me as Sub Zero and Hanzo as Scorpion. Ruby, you'll be Thorn. Blake, Shadow. Ren, Lotus. Neptune, Typhon. Our objective will be called 'Helios' from here on now. Any questions?". More out of fear than anything, they all shook their heads. "Good" Sub Zero said before standing next to Scorpion who was looking at something while behind a bush with a telescope.

They all then walked towards the ninjas and looked at what Scorpion was watching, The Pyramid. The house was a mansion resting on a cliff. A five-story building, beautifully decorated with a colorful garden surrounded by a tall ornated black gate. Connecting the gate were also four watchtowers decorated in the same style as the house so that the architecture was not broken.

"Anything to report, Scorpion?" Sub Zero asked him after a moment.

"There is something big happening here, alright…". Scorpion then passed the telescope to Sub Zero, and after a moment of looking at the building, he nodded in agreement.

"If it isn't the factory, it might just be something as big".

"Wow, seriously!? Let me see, let me see!" Ruby whispered excitedly but stopped when Sub Zero and Scorpion gave her a reprimanding look. "Uh… I mean… may I see as well?". Surprisingly, though, they looked at each other, smiled, and passed the telescope to her.

She grabbed the object and placed the lenses against her eye; but even though it worked, she was just not able to see what they saw. She just saw the security guards walking around the perimeter of the house. What mortified her, however, was that Blake seemed to be able to see what the ninjas saw as well.

As if he was a psychic, Sub Zero then went on to explain to the others. "This is supposed to be a healing center, right?". Everyone nodded. "Then why would they have so much heavily armed security?". That made Ruby reclaim the telescope and look through it once more and indeed, the men were using automatic weapons.

"Not only that; but look at the tracks" Scorpion then pointed out. "The wheels are of heavier and bigger vehicles, and if you look at the house, there is one more trail that leads to the back of the house".

"A truck" concluded Blake.

"Yeah, but it could be a truck full of food, or water, or that sort of thing" Neptune pointed out.

"Unlikely," said Ermac, who everyone now saw was meditating and floating in the air. "The map shows a town close by. If they wanted supplies, they just need to drive a short distance and get what they need in small quantities" he said while holding a scroll with a map of where they were, and there was, indeed, a town not too far away.

"There is one more thing that tells us this is just a coverup," Sub Zero told the others. He then turned and looked at Blake.

She looked at the house for a long time and then it hit her. "It's still early in the night and there are no lights on!". Once she said it, the other three teens felt like fools. There were, indeed, no lights on. Not on the kitchen, on any of the rooms, or any of the offices.

"So… overall…" Neptune said trying to get the answer out of the others.

Sub Zero then took on that job. "The guards are for keeping people out and they need to bring large amounts of various things that need to be transported by truck. My guess is chemicals and machine parts. The house is also a coverup to where they are taking their patients to".

"Ok…" Ren said for the first time. "But how are we getting in?".

Scorpion then smirked before storing the telescope away. "There is one more thing you are not considering". All four teens then looked at him puzzled. "There is a factory hidden in there; and factories need to ventilate all their wastes. If there is no chimney big enough on the house, and we are facing a cliff…?".

"Then there must be one on the side of the cliff!" they all said with excitement.

"Indeed," Sub Zero told them. He then looked at Ermac. "Your turn".

The red ninja then opened his eyes and began to clear the way out for everyone else as they made their way towards the side of the cliff.

* * *

Once the others were gone, there was not a lot to do for Jaune, Yang, Weiss, Nora, and Tomas. Even though he was supposed to be their sitter and guard, he was very relaxed and allowed them to move around if they were always together. Yang and Nora had learned the hard way to not break that rule when he morphed into a smoke cloud, punched them in the front and the back, and then launched the smoke bomb that teleported them back with Jaune and Weiss. But then again, it was not like they felt like going somewhere interesting.

As a result, they were now on team RWBY's room. Nora and Yang were playing videogames on their scrolls, Weiss was just watching the gray ninja sitting on their desk's chair, but he was more interested in reading one of Blake's books about ninjas and love. Finally, Jaune was just sitting on the other desk ignoring everyone else.

The room was only filled with the noises coming from the videogame. It was after a moment when Yang and Nora decided to try and tease Tomas to get even with their defeats.

"Bet they left you here with us because they think you are the weakest!" Yang started.

"Not really. When Kuai Liang proposed that one of us stayed, I volunteered" Tomas answered not even looking away from his book.

"Why would you that?" Nora then asked with legitimate curiosity.

'Because I want to be far away from any possibility of becoming a robot again' he answered in his mind. "That is a personal matter" he then told her.

"Ok then… I bet it hurts you that they think Jerrod is better than you".

Smoke then chuckled, surprising everyone. "Oh, trust me, you haven't seen him going full Ermac".

Weiss then decided to ask a question herself with genuine curiosity. "When Jerrod left… what was wrong with his eyes and voice?".

"That is for him to tell you when they get back. If he wishes to, that is".

"What about those words you exchanged with Kuai Liang?".

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you" Tomas answered nonchalantly. They first thought it was a joke, but they then remembered the earlier events and decided to drop any further questions.

The room then went silent once more, but Tomas did notice that Jaune had done absolutely nothing out of line since asking his favor. Now that he thought about it, he had said nothing since then either. Jaune just stayed in the back, away from the others, and always thinking about something. Tomas then stood up and got next to Weiss. "What is wrong with him?" he whispered to the white-haired girl.

"I'm sorry. It's classified" she answered him with a fake smile.

"Touche," he said in response.

"He is sad because he blames himself for Pyrrha's situation," Nora said, taking her attention away from the game.

"How come?" the silver-haired boy asked.

"Nora! Be quiet! And it is none of your concern!" Weiss snapped.

Smoke concluded by that piece of interaction that Jaune WAS at fault of something and that it must have been awfully bad. He then looked back at Jaune and was surprised that the boy was still lost in his thoughts and ignoring the conversation. He decided, at that moment, that the kid needed some sort of help.

Smoke then sighed and looked at the girls again. "Don't tell the others I told you this: The reason why Ermac had green eyes and spoke as he did it's because he is a collection of countless souls living in a reanimated body" he said without any holdbacks. To the girls that seemed random and made up; but then again, they were fighting robot faunus and saw a portal being opened. "Now can you tell me what is wrong with him?".

While all three girls were still processing what Tomas just said, Yang decided to talk. "I can't tell you exactly what he did, but… it is a serious thing that could get him expelled. Only he and Pyrrha knew about it, but the people at Seido Industries also got ahold of that information and we believe they are using that to blackmail her".

"I see…" Smoke said while stroking his chin.

Nora then decided to throw some more wood to the fire. "He also just found out that she was in love with him and that he was just treating her as a good friend".

Smoke then cringed and hissed. "That explains it…". None the less, he then got next to Jaune and slapped him on the back. That seemed to finally make the blond pay attention to the real world again. "Look, you can't just beat yourself up about what happened," he told the other man. Jaune then looked at the others feeling betrayed, but Smoke continued. "Relax! They didn't tell me what you actually did. I just know that you can either move on or do something about it".

"Well, what CAN I do!?" he asked while throwing his arms in the air. "It's not like I can ask them how they found out!".

Smoke seemed unfazed by Jaune's rant. Instead, he just kept pressing forward. "I didn't say that. There must be a detail you are missing".

Jaune then rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Really? So, what, you are a detective now?".

"Eh… I've had my fair share of crime scene reconstructing" Smoke answered. 'And hiding them too' he told himself.

"Well, what is there to reconstruct? I can guarantee you there is no connection between me and Pyrrha for Seido to have known!".

"Are you sure? Maybe you told someone else by accident? Maybe someone not so friendly?".

"I told you! There was-!" Jaune began to say but was stopped when a second epiphany came to him that day. Everyone seemed glad at first that he was finally out of his melancholic state, but then their concern returned shortly after. "RHAAAAAAAAAAA! WINCHESTER!" Jaune screamed as he slammed his fists on the table, jumped out of his chair, and slammed the door open before walking away.

As soon as Jaune was gone, all the girls looked at Smoke and he looked back at them. "… Fair to say no one was expecting that…" he said before turning into a cloud and quickly getting in front of Jaune. He then materialized and placed a finger against the other's forehead which made the blond stop. "Hold it! I never said you could go cause trouble".

Jaune then slapped the hand off his face. "Step out of my way or-". Jaune was unable to finish his threat as Smoke punched his sternum, slammed his open palm on the blonde's forehead grabbed him by an elbow, and threw Jaune back from where he came almost slamming against the girls.

"I don't think so" Smoke then said as he cleaned his blazer. "You figured something out, so off with it".

Jaune stared at Smoke, but the other didn't budge. He then felt a hand grab his elbow and saw Nora's worried face. Jaune then sighed and took everyone back to the room. "Remember when Cardin had me doing all his work a few months ago?". All girls nodded. "The night I told Pyrrha, Cardin overheard and used that information to blackmail me".

Now it was their turn to understand everything. Weiss was the first to then ask for details. "And are you sure he was the one who told them?".

Jaune nodded. "There can't be any other person who knew. I am one hundred percent sure of that".

Nora then pretended to roll up a shirt. "Well then, what are we waiting for?" she said as she made her way towards the door which was, once again, blocked by Tomas.

"First of all, I'm glad Jaune is out of his depressive state. But why should I allow any of you to go and start a fight?".

No one said anything for a long time until Weiss stepped forward. "Didn't you say we could go anywhere so long as we remained a group?". Smoke did not seem convinced. "Also, we all promise not to attack Cardin's team in any way; right guys?". Everyone but Jaune nodded, but when he saw all girls giving him a death glare, he rolled his eyes and nodded. That at least seemed to have caught Tomas' attention. "And, if Cardin works for Seido, wouldn't you have access to someone close to their leaders who you can then interrogate?".

Smoke's face showed no emotion, but his eyes kept going from one place to another. He hated to admit it, but the girl made a good point about finding out more about the leadership of Seido through Cardin. He then sighed and gave his answer. "Something tells me I am going to regret this. Very well! Lead the way". He then stepped out of the doorframe and allowed all four teens to go out.

* * *

Ruby, Neptune, Blake, and Ren knew that Ermac was scary in his way. They also knew his semblance was extremely powerful. But they were not expecting him to be able to levitate so many heavy objects at once and then be able to put them back in place without making any discernible noise or to be able to build new ways for them to get to the side of the cliff.

More incredible was when they were finally able to start going through the cliff and he was able to pull boulders out into the ocean or push them into the cliff to create a path. They were doing this at a normal pace until Ermac stopped and looked at everyone else. "We are within hearing reach of that cave," he said while pointing at the cave. They were still away from it and it was almost thirty feet up from their now narrower path. The trip was tricky, but none of the teens complained except for Neptune, who had his face against the wall and singing all sorts of nursery rhymes so he would not look down.

Once they were under the entrance to the cave, Blake then questioned their guides. "How are you so sure this is used as an exhaust chimney?". They then heard a bell ringing and a cloud of gases emerged from the cave at full speed. "Never mind".

Sub Zero then signaled Ruby to pay attention. "Thorn, when I tell you, you will use your semblance to go over the cave and back. You are not to engage, only do recognizance about what we could be facing off against".

They waited for a while until a faint door opening was heard. Sub Zero then nodded and Ruby used her semblance to launch herself in the air. When she reached the peak of the cave's entrance, she was now able to see three guards standing perfectly still and just turning their heads from left to right. The platform in which they were standing was also bare of anything that they could use to hide and only had a door just outside of the chimney's path.

Once her job was done, she immediately went down and returned to her place on the line. "There are three robot-like guards. There is a door outside of the chimney's path, some rocks, and nothing else".

It took Sub Zero a moment, but he seemed to have come up with a plan which he then discussed with Scorpion before speaking to the rest soon after. "Shadow, Lotus, I want you to climb up and take down the guards quietly. They are not human or faunus if you are wondering. Throw a rock each when you are done. Typhoon, you will then need to go up there and shock all three guards, if any of their cores run out of energy an alarm system will be activated, but a quick electric shock should be enough to reactivate the cores long enough for us to get in and out. Once you are done, we will join you all and we'll be able to enter the factory".

Blake, Ren, and Neptune nodded and the two first began to climb the side of the cliff. Soon after, Scorpion gave Neptune a piece of cloth. "When we tell you, put it in your mouth," the yellow ninja told the boy.

When Ren and Blake arrived at the platform, they were able to see the three guards in a triangle formation with two on the back and one close to the edge. They were not sure how to take them down until they saw the clear robot parts shining with the moonlight; that calmed their minds as they then proceeded to stab the guards with the blades of their weapons on their necks. The sizzling noise caught the attention of the last guard, but when he turned around, Blake and Ren smashed his head and stabbed him as well. They then wasted no time and threw some rocks from the edge.

The rest of the team saw them, and Scorpion wasted no time. "Now!" he said looking at Ermac and Neptune.

"Ok, but why do I need to bite this?" Neptune managed to ask before putting the cloth on his moth and Ermac used his powers on him to shoot Neptune up. Thankfully, the cloth muffled the scream the ninjas knew Neptune would make regardless if they told him or not.

Once Neptune was high enough, he then saw Ren and Blake and remembered his objective. He took out his Tri-Hard in gun mode and shot three times at his targets. The robots' body parts glowed blue for a moment when the shots made contact and he then signaled that his objective was complete. Ermac then slowly placed Neptune on the platform and quickly helped everyone else get up before levitating himself.

"Why did you do that!?" Neptune asked Scorpion enraged.

"Have we told you what we were going to do, would you have agreed to it? Or would you have complained for minutes?". Scorpion answered back.

Neptune hated to admit it, but Scorpion was right.

"Enough talking," Sub Zero said as he got next to the door and checked the handle. He then froze the lock, but instead of breaking the whole thing, he just broke the lock mechanism.

Once everyone was inside, they could now see a futuristic hallway with bright neon lights. They walked for a moment until they reached a room where all the complex seemed to be connected. A circular room with a giant pillar-shaped container full of blue liquid stood in the middle of the room which had to be at least five stories high with stairs connecting each level. They then saw as humans in turquoise silk uniforms interacted with robots of many shades; the teens were unaware of what was happening, but the three ninjas were surprised.

"We were right. Tekunin and Orderrealmers are working together as a whole" Sub Zero said.

"But they still play different roles…" Ermac noticed. "Seidans use the left side of the complex while the right is used by the Tekunin".

That brief conversation took the others from their amazement.

"Tekunin?" Ruby asked.

"Orderrealmers?" continued Blake.

"They already existed?" asked Neptune.

"Were they enemies at some point?" finally asked Ren.

The other ninjas paid no attention to them and Scorpion then went to brief them. "See those rooms on the left?" he asked them, and they nodded. "Those must be the prison cells. If your friend is here, he is there… provided we are not late".

Neptune and Blake were ready to make him retract that statement but were stopped by Sub Zero. "Ermac will go with you. He is now your leader, so listen to everything he has to say. Scorpion and I have a different objective".

Excitedly, Ruby nodded. "Great! And when we are done, we just have to send you a message from our scroll!".

"No scrolls!" Sub Zero reprimanded her. "The signals might get caught in their systems and they might realize we are here!". Knowing they would then ask 'how are we supposed to keep in contact then?', Sub Zero then pulled his dragon medallion. "Take this! Ermac and Scorpion already have one. If you get separated, use it only to answer my or Ermac's calls". They all then nodded one last time and were split; Sub Zero and Scorpion walked slowly to the right side while Ermac and the four teens went to the left.

But despite knowing their objectives, Ruby, Ren, Blake, and Neptune now had a thousand more questions about what was happening around them. "Do not worry, we will explain everything in due time" Ermac told them.

"We?" Ren asked. "But Sub Zero and Scorpion are gone…".

"Not them; Us!" Ermac insisted.

"You… Ermac in plural?" Blake asked confused. To their dismay, he nodded. Now they had a thousand and one questions.

* * *

Jaune and company finally arrived at their destination. The door might have looked like any other in the building, but for Jaune, it was a barrier between him and the truth. He seemed ready to try and tear the piece of wood down but was stopped by three consecutive 'e-hem' sounds. He then looked at Smoke, Nora, Yang, and Weiss who were all with their arms crossed. "Fine…" Jaune said in defeat. He then knocked on the door normally three times.

"Finally! It was about time you brought back your sorry ass-" Sky said while opening the door. "Oh… it's… you…?" Sky said, not disappointed or annoyed but surprised. "Why are you-" he tried to ask but was then pushed out of the way by Jaune.

"Where is he!?" he yelled while looking around the room only finding Russel doing a model of Mountain Glenn while Dove was drawing Grimm diagrams. "Where is he!?" he insisted.

"Excuse us…" Smoke said with irritation as he walked into the room and delivered a chop on the right side of Jaune's neck. That stunned him for a moment as Smoke then forced him to turn around and then delivered a hit with his open hand on Jaune's stomach. "Sorry about this, guys. Keep on working" Smoke said while walking out, carrying Jaune and trying to light up the mood after the blonde's outburst.

Once outside, Jaune was surprised that it was Weiss and not Tomas who began to scold him. "Jaune, need I remind you about your promise!?".

"But…".

"No 'buts', Mr.!" Nora told him. "Do it calmly!".

Defeated, Jaune walked towards Sky once again. He then took a deep breath and asked calmly again. "Sky, do you know where Cardin is?".

"And why would you want to talk or even see him?".

Nora then intervened. "We believe he did something to Pyrrha, and we need to confirm". Everyone, even Nora, panicked when they noticed the slip-up.

Thankfully, Sky did not seem to catch on. "Really? Isn't she working for Seido now? Oh… uh… I know it must be hard to let her go… but you have to admit that zaphyre ad is sweet!".

"Ad?" asked Yang.

"Zaphyre?" asked Weiss remembering the device Hotaru showed them weeks ago.

"Yeah! We already pre-ordered ours!"

"No, we don't have time for that! Do you know where Cardin is or not?" Jaune asked again when the conversation went off-topic.

"Well… sort of…".

"What do you mean 'sort of'. Do you or do you not!?".

"Hey, be cool! He has not returned from Vale since yesterday" Sky answered surprising all. "When the hotel was attacked, police closed all bullhead ports. He started to get piss drunk while in Vale so we assumed he would spend the night in Vale and has not answered our since yesterday!". Everyone then remembered how their day went, and then they noticed that Cardin was, indeed, missing. "I mean, I know we don't have a good relationship with you guys, but you never noticed he was gone?"

"So, you don't know where he is" then concluded Weiss.

"We have a locator on his scroll!" then yelled Dove, annoyed that he seemed unable to finish his diagrams. "Can you give us twenty minutes to finish before we go pick up his idiot ass!?".

"Yeah… Dove really needs a good grade in tomorrow's presentation so he is a bit touchy… But yeah, we are going later to Vale and pick him up from his… uh… 'girlfriend's apartment' if you could call her that. You can come if you want?".

"Us? Really?" asked Nora.

"Girlfriend?" asked Jaune.

"Yeah, seeing you all yell at him will be fun to us… and we do need him for tomorrow's presentation. Word of advice, though: the girl he hooked up with is a real bitch called Elsa, so don't try to get on her good side, it's useless".

Tomas, Jaune, Weiss, Yang, and Nora then decided to wait outside CRDL's room. But only Tomas was thinking about something other than making Cardin tell the truth. 'Elsa… Elsa… where have I heard that name before…?'.


	28. Chapter 28

It had been well over an hour since Jaune and the others along with team CRDL arrived in Vale. Once there, they wasted no time activating the locator and marching towards Cardin's location. Even though Russel was their guide, Jaune's fixation made him go to the front and leave the rest behind, making Weiss or Tomas go and get him whenever he was heading the wrong way.

Although annoying at first, the rest of team CRDL was now growing concerned about Jaune. They actually feared what he would do once they found Cardin. Dove then got close to Yang with the intent of finding out what was going on. "So… I know we should have asked this before leaving, but what is up with Arc?" he then remembered Weiss' new outfit and asked a follow-up. "And what is it with Schnee?".

"Shhh!" she told the other boy before looking around to see if anyone heard him. When everything seemed calm, she then looked at him. On one hand, Yang didn't want to talk with one of the students who was the bane of many others at school; on the other hand, they were being good companions for once. "Remember when paparazzi entered the school to get pictures?" she asked the boy.

Dove then nodded. "Ooooh…" he then said, figuring the rest on his head.

"Not only that, but her father apparently vomited on an ice sculpture, so… you know. As for Jaune…". The last thing Yang wanted was to make more people know about his situation. They hadn't even told Tomas, so why would Dove, Russel, or Sky have any special treatment? "Look… I can't say, but we have a hunch that your dear leader has something to do with something that happened".

"You mean Nikos leaving?". He then saw Yang's face morph into a look of panic and then quickly looking at Jaune to see if he listened. "Chill, Xiao Long. I heard you from back in the dorm and I can assure you, Cardin has never told me, or any of us, anything about having something on Nikos".

That calmed Yang, but then she thought about the fallout CRDL seemed to be in since KHTE's fighting exam. "By the way, what happened to you guys? You might have been a bunch of jerks, but at least you were a team of jerks".

Sky, who had been listening to their conversation, decided to then answer. "Oh, it was all fun and games in the beginning, but we did come here to become huntsmen. Once our grades went down, we decided to buckle up, but Cardin just had to keep it up! Couldn't find a middle ground or take a few seconds to do his job. It had to be his way or the highway!" he said, ventilating his frustrations. "And where did that land him in? a path straight to-".

"Sky! Shut up!" Russel yelled making everyone stop and look at him.

"Oh, come on!" Nora complained. "He was getting to the good part!".

"Hey, Xiao Long didn't answer Dove's question about Arc and Nikos, why should we tell you about Cardin's problems?".

That outburst then made Jaune turn around. "You were doing what, Yang!?".

Everyone seemed ready to start fighting but were stopped by Tomas. "Silence!" he yelled at them, and everyone did while also looking at him. He then turned around and looked at some buildings carefully. "This is wrong…".

"What is?" asked Weiss.

"Have any of you noticed the sector we are in?" he then asked.

At first, they were unsure, but then they noticed that the streets were completely empty and cracked. They then looked closely and saw that every building was empty, and half demolished. It was a dump, for the lack of a better word.

"You said Elsa worked part-time and went to a school, right?" Tomas asked Russel.

"Yeah. So?" he answered back.

"The closest university is an hour away by car, there is no public transportation or grocery stores in this sector, every building is a crumbling mess and you are telling me a student and part-timer is happily living here?".

No one liked where Tomas was going with this. He then looked at Russel. "How long before we reach Cardin?".

The boy looked at his scroll again. "Just two more blocks… that way!" he said while pointing left.

Tomas looked in that direction and ran with everyone behind him. They then arrived at a building that had the main doors blocked by planks of wood nailed to the door frame. "Russel can your scroll tell for how long Cardin has been in there?".

The teen then frantically looked at the application and went pale. "It can't. Because this is the last place he went to before the scroll went offline yesterday!".

Everyone then went on to tear the boards with their weapons, but Nora turned her hammer into rocket-launcher mode first. "Everyone, back off!" she yelled before firing and blowing the boards away. Before the smoke cleared, everyone was already in and looked around.

There seemed to be four apartments by floor with the doors standing but already rotting. "Listen up everyone!" Tomas said calling for everyone's attention. "We don't know what could be inside, so get your weapons out and we'll split into teams of two to search each apartment. Jaune, you are with me; everyone else, figure it out!" he told them before kicking a door open and going in immediately followed by Jaune.

Weiss went with Yang, Russel with Dove and Sky with Nora. The apartments on the first two floors were empty, but when Nora and Sky checked their apartment on the third floor, they found Cardin's unmoving pale body resting on its right side, with his right arm and leg extended while his left arm served as a pillow and his leg contracted close towards his chest. "We found him, but there is something wrong!" Nora yelled.

All the other people ran into the apartment and were shocked when they saw Cardin's static body. Tomas entered last but immediately ran and kneeled next to the body. He checked the blood pressure on Cardin's wrist and then placed his ear next to the heart. "He has a pulse, but it's faint!" he told everyone.

"What is wrong with him!?" asked a panicking Sky.

Tomas noticed that Cardin must have fallen to the ground on his way to the toilet; he then felt a small shiver coming from the boy. Tomas then opened Cardin's mouth, his breath smelled horrible, but there was one clear smell: alcohol. "He is intoxicated! Sky, Russel! Help me carry him to the toilet! Someone else, call an ambulance!" Tomas then ordered.

Once the three teens arrived at the toilet, Tomas handed the arm he was carrying to Sky and got in front of Cardin, he then pulled the unconscious teen's hair making him open his mouth and then placed two fingers inside Cardin's mouth. Before Russel could question what Tomas was doing, Cardin's body came back to life for a moment to puke large amounts of pure liquid into the bowl.

When Cardin went limp again. Russel and Sky looked at Tomas who wasted no time explaining. "He was poisoned. My guess is that he drank it yesterday, but his aura seemed to have slowed down the effectiveness of the poison. Judging by the amount he drank; I'd say that he would have died by sunrise". After a moment, they heard Yang asking for medical help.

While all the students were next to Cardin and waiting for the ambulance, Smoke then looked around the apartment. He noticed faint details that told him furniture had been on the living room and kitchen, but the coverup was of such exquisite detail that it seemed like the apartment had been abandoned for years. On his tour, he then found bottles of various alcoholic beverages in many empty states. Whoever left wanted the place to look like a hideout for people to drink. Smoke then grabbed a small empty bottle of spirit and returned to the bathroom to grab a sample of Cardin's stomach contents.

A couple of minutes later, the ambulance arrived and took Cardin and everyone else back to Beacon where the unconscious teen would be treated. Thankfully, Goodwitch and Ozpin accepted the explanation that they just wanted to look for Cardin and then found him like that without asking any further questions.

The rest of CRDL then left and the other five students were going to return to RWBY's room until Smoke took a detour. "Didn't you say we should stick together?" Jaune asked.

Smoke stopped but did not turn around to face them. "I trust you. I need to check something on my own".

Before he left, he was then stopped by Weiss. "What happened to Cardin… does it have to do with you and your team?".

"… I believe so" Smoke answered her.

"Why did they do that to him?". Nora then asked.

Smoke thought about his answer carefully. "My theory is that they were cutting loose ends. That is all you are getting form me" he said before walking away once again. None of the others said anything else and left as well.

Unknown to everyone, however, was that Cardin's vomit had a smell familiar to Smoke, a beverage impossible to make in this universe.

* * *

Currently, Ermac and his four companions were hiding behind some crates next to what he told the others was the entrance to the prison complex. To them, however, the glowing blue symbols over the door meant nothing. "How are you so sure this will take us to the holding cells?" asked Neptune.

"We already told you, it says so," Ermac said pointing at the sign. "Trust us, we know seidan. Many of their warriors reside within us".

There… 'he' was talking like that again. "What ARE the seidan anyway?" Blake asked. "It's not just a fancy name that the company came up for their employees, is it?". She and the others had decided not to ask why Ermac referred to himself in plural form, that was a question for another time.

Knowing the questions would only increase, Ermac conceded and began to explain. "Seido is also known as the Realm of Order, dedicated to preserving law and order above anything else. Most of the human-like beings you see are from that realm, most likely".

The explanation did not have the desired result. "Realm? If you mean a 'kingdom', then sorry, but there is no such kingdom named 'Seido' or 'Order', buddy" Neptune told him.

Ermac sighed. "We do not mean a kingdom; we mean a realm of reality".

That finally made everyone quiet; but not because it cleared all doubt, quite the opposite. 'Another reality?' was now the question in everyone's mind. What were they, dimensional police?

"Silence!" Ermac then ordered with whispering voices. "Someone is coming!". From their hiding spot, they were now able to see a man in his early twenties using the turquoise uniform with a small cape and black gloves from before. When he was getting close to the door, Ermac turned around to face the others. "Thorn, when the guard goes through the door, follow him and get his access card. Everyone else, run towards the open door when we give the signal and hide anywhere you can!".

When Ermac was done giving orders, the man was now placing the card on the reader. Soon after, Ruby used her semblance and went through the door when it started to close; and just as it was ready to shut, Ermac used his powers to keep it open. "Now!" he told the other three, and when they reached the doorframe, Ermac opened it just enough to allow them to get in. They all then hid behind crates and Ermac allowed the door to close without making any discernible noise.

Ruby, in the meanwhile, followed the man until he reached what seemed to be the entrance to a lounge room. Before the guard could open the unlocked door, she took the card. Unfortunately, he felt the light pull from her hands, but Ruby was quicker and hid behind a beam. To her dismay, however, the man was on his way to inspect the beam, and just as he was ready to see behind it, another person came out of the room. "Hey! Ineko! You better start warming your food now, dinner time is about to start!" an older burlier man with a groomed beard said.

"Sorry, Ga! I thought I heard something…" Ineko said while looking behind the beam and finding nothing.

"I warned you kid; an empty stomach makes you hallucinate".

"Yeah… I guess…". Ineko said as he made his way towards the room again.

When the door closed, Ruby was then able to drop from the ventilation duct she was hiding behind, thankful that that brief distraction gave her enough time to jump and that her size allowed her to get through the tubes. Now, however, she had to return; so, she used her semblance again to go down the halls and towards her team.

* * *

They finally reached the entrance to the holding cells according to Ermac. The red ninja then went on to use the card and the security doors began to unlock.

Neptune and Ren were covering the back with their weapons ready. "Ok… we've come this far, and now we just need to find Sun!" Neptune told the other boy.

"You seem very confident we are going to find him so easily" Ren responded.

"Please, how many people could they have in here?".

They finally heard the door open and then Ruby called for Neptune's attention. "Typhoon… you might want to look at this…".

Confused, he turned around and now felt troubled. Not only was the prison four floors high, but it also had to be well over half a mile deep. It was of square design with cells on the outer walls and an underground room in the middle filled with various items they must use for the inmates. Each floor had its platform-floors connected by stairs and one grid-elevator shaft in the middle of the wall which had the stairs. Finally, on the final floor, there seemed to be a control room with a big window facing the empty space.

"That is our objective" Ermac proclaimed while pointing at the control room. Before they could lay out a plan, they then heard the voices of men in their early thirties coming from the storage in the middle of the room.

"-refuses to believe men in this world can also have cute cat ears! She still thinks only the women can have them!".

"Hey, I still can't believe faunus in this universe are treated like they are. Elder Gods know they would be deities in Earthrealm!". The first voice came from a blond man with a ponytail and a goatee, and the second from a man with black straight hair that had a bang going over his right eye.

"Speaking of which, I am going to start a petition to further develop the splicing project. I know for a fact my wife would love to have cat ears and for a big bad wolf to chase her each night if you catch my drift". The blond said humorously.

"Yes, you've told me many times that you would like a wolf tail," said the other man with a hint of annoyance.

"Hey, who are you to judge? You started it when you asked me if it was weird that your wife makes you use a wig that looks like the commander's hair when you do it!".

"No! … I asked if it was weird that my wife was the one who liked using it the most…".

"Anyway… I alssso know, for a fact, that sssomeone would like a forked tongue! Like a sssnake!".

"… Ok… I'll sign your petition…" The second guard said with a hint of shame as both grabbed a cart that seemed to hold trays of food.

Blake, Ruby, Neptune, and Ren were horrified by the seidans' conversation but were quickly taken out of their distraction by Ermac. "Thorn, Lotus! You are with us! Typhon, Shadow! You will remain behind and wait for further instructions". He then pulled out one of the medallions and gave it to Blake. He once again looked towards the guards and gave signals to Ren and Ruby to get close to him. "As soon as the camera is not looking in our way, I want you to use your semblance and knock them out with a hit on their heads. We will then use our powers to hold them and make the cart move while you follow; make sure your head is never going over the cart! Once you are through, Lotus and we will run and hide from the camera".

Wasting no time, Ruby waited for the device to be in place. Once the camera was not facing their way anymore, she used her semblance and rammed into the blond guy who hit his head against the cart and fell to the ground. His friend, who was delivering a tray in one of the doors, heard the commotion; and just as he was turning around, he received a smack on the head courtesy of crescent-rose.

"Wha…?" she heard the first guy moan as he seemed to be recovering, but another smack from Ruby's scythe knocked him out. She then got into place just as Ermac levitated the men and placed their arms on the handles of the cart and the camera was now looking at their direction once again.

The silence felt eternal and it was as if the camera was looking at their very souls, but then it moved away and allowed Ruby and to move along with the cart. Once she got to the other side, Ren and Ermac sprinted as fast as they could getting the middle of the hall before the camera reached their angle. They hid behind some beams and waited for the device to look away before reaching the other side, all three of them then started to go up the floors.

On their way, Ermac made a mental note of how many other guards were active on each floor until finally arriving at the office.

Before they went in, Ermac listened carefully to the two men who seemed to control the systems. After a while, he finally gave the signal for Ren and Ruby to storm in and knock them out. Ermac forced the door open and allowed Ren to roll in and deliver a kick to one the guys' chin and then to slam his head against the wall with a roundhouse. Before the other could react, Ruby rammed against him, denting the other door but knocking him out.

Both men were then tied up, gagged, and left on a storage closet. "Have to admit, that was fun!" Ruby proclaimed. "You do this on every mission?" She asked Ermac who was now focusing on the digital panels in front of him.

"No". He answered.

"What should we do if they wake up?" Ren asked.

"If they wake up before we leave, we'll take care of them".

Ruby and Ren then exchanged concerned looks fearing he meant what they were thinking. "You mean… you will… kill them?" Ruby managed to ask.

"If we must, then yes" he answered nonchalantly and not even looking at them when he said it.

Ruby gulped, but then again, she remembered who the people they were working with were and what Hanzo almost did to Yang.

"We are in!" Ermac's many voices said excitedly before turning towards his companions. "What is Helios' real name?".

"Sun Wukong" Ren whispered on Ermac's ear. Even though they had expressed their doubts about all the strange symbols that Ermac claimed to be able to read, they were now impressed with how the red ninja was able to type on the strange keyboard as if it was a native language. Soon after, though, Sun's picture and what Ruby and Ren thought was his information popped up.

Ermac then grabbed his medallion; and a few seconds later, it began to shine green and all three were now able to see a transparent green Blake. "Shadow, Typhon! Can you hear us?".

"We do" they heard Neptune's voice say somewhere in the background.

"Helios is already here. He is in a cell on the third level, so head for the stairs. There are still guards delivering food, so take down the ones we tell you to".

"Understood!" Blake said as the other three could now see them running towards the stairs.

On their way up, Ruby stopped them. "Careful! Guards on level two just switched their route".

Ermac considered the situation and came up with a plan. "Whenwe tell you, we want Typhon to shoot at them with a shock strong enough to stun them".

"Copy that!" they heard Neptune say, and just as the guards were ready to arrive next to the stairs by the right, Ermac used telekinesis to make the cart drop some of the trays.

"What in the Netherrealm did you do!?".

"I didn't do anything" they heard the guards argue.

"Now! On your left" Ermac instructed.

Neptune placed the goggles over his eyes and then shot at the guards, effectively knocking them out.

Their victory was short-lived, however, when Ren noticed the elevator had activated. "Two guards are going down!" he managed to warn in time as Neptune hid behind the cart. The guards, none the less, saw their allies down.

"What the-".

"Sound the ala-UGH!". The guard could not finish as Blake got through the elevator's grid and knocked them out.

Once the fight seemed over, Ermac then gave more instructions. "There is an empty room to your left. Look for a room marked with a vertical line with two dots on its left and a rounded triangle". Once all guards were stored, Ermac proceeded to reveal Sun's location. "On level three look for a room marked with symbols resembling a seven, a triangle missing the right side and one that looks like a letter F".

It took Blake and Neptune a few minutes, but eventually, they found it. "We are here!" Neptune told the others. Ermac immediately pressed a button and opened the cell. A cold air current went over Blake and Neptune, but shortly after, they found the pale body of Sun trembling on the corner with his back facing them. Out of pure shock, both Neptune and Blake ran towards the blond ignoring the medallion.

Upstairs, Ruby Ren and Ermac left the office a short time after the ninja made a metallic closet fall over the console to destroy it. It didn't take long for the other three to reach Suns' cell and they were now able to see Blake and Neptune kneeling while Sun's head laid on top of Blake's knees and she was stroking his hair.

"He is still breathing, but we can't take this thing off". She told them with worry as now they saw Neptune trying to remove the metallic contraption around the monkey faunus' neck.

"And you will not!" Ermac instructed. "Knowing Sektor as we do, that collar is set to kill the user if taken off". As Ermac said that, Neptune stopped trying to pull the thing off.

That, however, seemed to wake Sun as he looked with heavy eyes at his surroundings. "Nep… Blakey…" he then looked at the others. "Creepy red guy…" he managed to say and giggle before he fell unconscious again.

Everyone then looked at Ermac expecting an explanation. "A concoction of relaxers with hallucinogens… strange… Sektor has never carried the process like this…".

"Who is this Sektor guy!?" Blake demanded to know.

"He is not of your concern. We found Helios, now it's time to go!".

"Go!?" Ruby asked surprised. "I may not know that… 'sedan' language of yours, but I was able to see pictures of other faunus trapped in here!".

For the first time in the night, Ermac now seemed to be losing his patience. "We only came here for Helios. That is all!".

"Oh yeah?" Neptune asked in a cocky manner. "Give just ONE good reason as to why we should leave all of these people to their doom!?". Not long after he ended that question, an alarm went off.

_'Intruder alert! Intruder Alert! Non-authorized personnel found on the Tekunin workshop. Prepare for total lockdown!'._

Ermac then looked at his companions. Neptune and Ruby hung their heads in defeat and just went on to carry Sun out before the prison shut down or the unconscious bodies of the other guards were discovered.

* * *

Sub Zero didn't know if it was due to Sektor's robotic mind insisting all facilities looked the same or if it was what remained of his human brain that kept doing the same out of laziness, but he was thankful that most of his factories had the same or a similar layout.

Hanzo, on the other hand, had to admit that the scrolls from this world were incredibly useful. The way they got ridiculously small to carry on small pouches on his belt, yet being able to carry a powerful camera? It was amazing for him.

They had passed the main sections of the factory on all floors, but then they realized there was a problem. There were no more rooms. Moreover, the machines were turned off. "This is wrong…" Sub Zeros said expressing his feelings. "This is not even half the size of his smallest factory in Earthrealm…"

They reached the last room, which according to experience, should have been storage; but instead, it was filled with small cubicles were people seemed asleep while laying on inclined beds. Knowing the next guard would not arrive for at least a couple of minutes and knowing there were plenty of places to hide, both ninjas decided to see what was happening.

Their understanding of computers might have been basic, but they had learned how to use Tekunin technology. Scorpion went on to look for the information while Kuai Liang checked the people. It was then that he noticed that everyone seemed to have a recurring feature. "Scorpion! Can you check the information on the prisoners?".

"Why?" the other asked. He did so anyway, but he then saw what the other meant. "They are faunus…". Scorpion then noticed older files of former patients and went to investigate them. "It has been months since they have only taken faunus patients".

"This is a factory… but not one on large scale… why…?" Wondered Sub Zero. On further inspection, they now saw different percentages; random at first, but once organized by repeating numbers, it showed that people with the same animal trait had similar percentages.

Their thoughts were interrupted, however, when they saw with horror as one of the patients, a rabbit faunus girl of about ten with big black ears, placed her hands and face against the glass. She then gasped when the ninjas looked at her back and they now saw the stats on the screen over her cell showing that her heart rate was increasing.

Scorpion grabbed his spear preparing for the worst-case scenario, but Sub Zero slowly approached the girl and then created an ice teddy bear. That, in turn, seemed to calm the girl down and she laughed and clapped. Everything seemed ok, but then they saw the cell next to the girl's crack but not break, and its occupant, a chubby cow faunus, trying to open the door with her horns. Her eyes went red, and with a mechanical voice, she repeated the same message. "Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert! Level 5 Room XF-20!". Whatever information they gathered, it had to do. Scorpion and Sub Zero left the room and got ready to face whatever Sektor meant to throw their way.

Before they could leave that floor, however, they were intercepted by a red robot with glowing blue parts falling from the ceiling. "Sektor!" Scorpion proclaimed. But then, energy gathered next to the robot and a blue version appeared next to it.

"Not quite…" Sub Zero corrected him. "Triborg".


	29. Chapter 29

Sun could hear a noise. It was faint, but it sounded like… a scream? a horn? Maybe not a horn, but it was definitely something he heard a car make. An alarm! He heard an alarm. He then felt like he was bouncing, but he was not moving his legs. Then came the feeling on his face; like his cheek was resting on… hair! It took him a long a painful moment to finally open his eyes to then see metal walls and beams passing by. He then noticed the hair; black and long with a delightful floral smell indicating that whoever was carrying him took special care of it. A quick glance through his memories led him to believe that Blake must be the one carrying him then. He was still tired and not fully operational though, so he just managed to say a few quick words before tiredness took over him once again. "Mmmm, Blake. You have such perfect hair…". Sun then took a deep whiff and slowly went back to sleep.

"Don't worry. No one will speak of this, I swear!" Neptune assured a now slightly traumatized Ren. While running for their lives and carrying Sun, Ren never expected that to happen.

"Sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry" he also heard Blake say to him.

Their escape seemed to be going great so far. Ren, Blake, Neptune, Ruby, and Ermac ran and hid when necessary. Whenever they saw a Seidan Guard heading their way, Ermac then used his powers to violently push them away and most likely cause a brain trauma or a broken bone in the process. Every other huntsman in training had their weapons in gun mode except for Ren; even though his weapons were guns by default, someone with a better physical state was better to carry Sun around and if any of the guards got close, a melee weapon was easily more accessible by the others.

After Ermac seemed to have broken the neck of one of the guards by making him crash against the roof, they finally reached the door connecting to the central room with the giant liquid container; but once they were out, they now saw a group of at least ten Seidan Guards pointing their naginatas at the infiltrators while the door behind them closed and was secured with a stronger and heavier door.

One of the guards, wearing a strange-looking yellow mask, then stepped forward. "Halt, intruders! You are hereby detained by the Orderrealm's Seidan Guard in correspondence to infiltration laws and-".

"When we tell you, try to get as close to our back as possible" Ermac whispered to the others. He then used his telekinesis to pick up his folded ax and threw it towards the speaking guard.

"-being as you are not- WOAH! What the-". The man yelled in surprise and everyone was distracted for a few seconds. Time enough for Ermac to then make a makeshift wall with crates, chairs, and every easy to pick up things he could find. "Intruders are resisting arrest! All personnel is now allowed to use deadly force as they see-" the guard started to say, but was unable to finish when Ermac's ax returned, fully deployed, and sliced his head in half. The body then fell on its knees and with a loud thud on its chest while blood began to come from the sliced head.

Ruby and the others were shocked to see the gruesome display, but they were more appalled by the reaction from their enemies. "It's Shao Kahn's monster! Get the bombardiers in here!".

Not liking the sound of that, Neptune quickly turned towards Ermac. "What are bombardiers?".

To everyone's surprise, Ermac looked just as alarmed as they were. "We do not know" he answered.

Soon after, parts of their barricade began to be blown away at the sides by quick golden energy shots. A quick glance through some of the remaining holes allowed Blake to see that the original guardsmen who held them were now replaced by men with more technological suits carrying a minigun that with a heavy metallic cord connecting the back of the weapon to the back of their users' helmets.

The guardsmen kept on firing and Ermac tried to keep the barricade from falling. Ruby then attempted to go and fight them but was stopped by Ermac. "Do not even think about it!" he screamed.

"If we don't do something now, they will-" she tried to reason but was interrupted by a new set of shots coming from the upper floors. Thankfully, Ermac was quick to react and created a cover on top of them.

"These are not dropouts who went on to become henchmen; Seidan Guards are capable warriors on their own!" he told all present while trying to hold the barrier. "We are currently unable to use our powers for reasons other than defense. We must hold our ground until Scorpion and Sub Zero are back!".

Ren then decided to stop trying to go against the current. "What do you need us to do?".

Ermac considered the options and came up with a strategy. "They must be firing from afar. Answer fire and do not try to fight them unless they breach our defenses!". Without any further resistance, Blake, Neptune, Ren, and Ruby turned their weapons to gun mode and waited for Ermac to open random spots on his barricade for their dust-bullets to go through. After a while, Ermac closed the holes they were using and opened new ones to keep the bombardiers guessing where to shoot.

Their strategy went like that for a couple of minutes before the guards began to gain ground and the random objects were starting to become unusable. Unexpectedly, two guards wearing normal armors emerged from the closed door. They then charged at Ermac but were blocked by a swipe from Ruby. "I'll hold them, you keep shooting!".

Ruby tried once again to slash through their attacks, but the men were prepared and rolled out of the way, got behind her, and kicked her to the ground. One guard was ready to stab her, but she rolled out of the way. The other guardsman went to stab Ermac but was stopped when Neptune locked his naginata with Tri-hard on its Kuan Dao form.

Both Ruby and Neptune hacked and slashed at their opponents, but they were fast and disciplined; if they were not evading their attacks, they were successfully blocking them. The men then attacked by sticking the blades of their naginatas in the ground, using them as a jumping pole to deliver kicks on the teens and then a powerful slash that was absorbed by the huntsmen's aura.

Once Neptune and Ruby fell on the ground, the guardsmen tried to impale their naginatas through their chests. Neptune was faster and turned Tri-hard its trident form to then clash and tangle it with the naginata, electrocuting his adversary in the process. Ruby used her semblance to get behind the other man and they clashed weapons as well. So distracted were the guardsmen that they noticed Ermac using his telekinesis on them once they were already floating. The red ninja then threw them, and both Blake and Ren saw them falling into stalagmites.

Once they were gone. Ruby and Neptune remained behind Ermac to then shoot at opponents on the upper floors; and while they managed to hold their ground for a moment, they were then terrified when they saw two giant Seidan Guards emerging from the main doors. One wearing a helmet with a giant spike-like horn and carrying a mace with spikes that resembled said horn while the other man had a helmet with a horn that resembled a canon and carried a mixture of a rocket launcher with a minigun.

As both got closer to the makeshift wall, all four teens noticed that their shots were bouncing off their armor. With each step, their worries grew, and a question kept being repeated. 'Where are Scorpion and Sub Zero?'.

* * *

BOOM!

And Scorpion had just managed to dodge another bomb coming from a new yellow Triborg who kept his distance while Scorpion fought the red Triborg and Sub Zero the blue one.

"If he is called triborg, why does he have four modes!?" Scorpion yelled at his companion who had two ice-swords locked with a giant ice blade that the blue robot made.

"Last time I fought him there were only three models!" Sub Zero managed to yell back as the yellow robot disappeared and a gray one formed behind him to then grab Sub Zero's hands and hold them behind his back. Just as the blue Triborg was making an ice ball with spikes, Sub Zero managed to create a dagger which he then used to stab the gray robot, distracting him and allowing Sub Zero to then throw the gray robot towards the blue one. The gray Triborg then disappeared and the blue one charged towards Sub Zero who dodged the slam from the ball, jumped and roundhouse kicked the blue Triborg in the back. "This blue one must be a model based on the cybernetic augmentations they didn't use on me!".

During that fight, the red Triborg used flamethrowers on Scorpion which he in return absorbed with his own hellish fire. Scorpion then noticed the other robot reappearing behind Sub Zero. Scorpion rolled away from the flames and then yelled at his partner. "Gray one! Behind you!".

Sub Zero managed to turn around as the gray Triborg launched four spears attached to elastics from his chest. Sub Zero blocked but the spears got stuck on his arms. There was a lot of pain, but he didn't have time to think about it as Triborg then pulled Sub Zero towards him, disappeared, and allowed the yellow Triborg to use the rockets on his feet to fly towards Sub Zero with his fists extended, delivering a blow on the blue ninja's face.

Sub Zero then fell to the ground while Triborg kept on flying, doing a loop and heading towards Sub Zero with his hands now in buzz-saw mode; but just as the robot was about to cut Sub Zero in half, the blue ninja opened his eyes, rolled over and got on his knees. When the saws clashed against the floor, he then froze the ground and Triborg's hands with it. Sub Zero then delivered a straight kick with such strength that Triborg's head came off from its body, but Sub Zero knew about Sektor's tricks; so he then created ice axes that he then used to chop off the yellow Triborg's arms.

The blue Triborg then jumped in the air and fired ice bombs that froze Sub Zero in place as the gray Triborg re-emerged with a harpoon in hand.

Scorpion was trying to hit the red Triborg with his swords, but all his blows were being blocked by the robot. Once he saw Sub Zero about to be stabbed, he pushed his opponent away, grabbed his spear, and threw it towards the gray robot. Knowing the red Triborg would try something, he then pulled while yelling "Come here!". But instead of hitting the robot, he disappeared and allowed the body to keep flying towards his red companion, making them crash and momentarily leaving them out of commission.

The blue Triborg, however, wasted no time in trying to kill Sub Zero once his gray counterpart failed. He created the giant sword once again to try and slash Sub Zero, but his blow was blocked when the blue ninja managed to free his right arm and then made a sword for himself that blocked the incoming attack mere inches from his forehead.

The struggle was broken when Scorpion materialized behind the blue Triborg and then stabbed the robot with one of his swords on the back of the head. Once the point of the swords emerged from the robot's forehead, the machine seemed to become still, it fell to the ground once Scorpion used his other sword to decapitate the blue Triborg.

With another of their opponents defeated, Sub Zero broke out of his prison. "Thank you, Scorpion," he told the other man.

"Gratitude later…" Scorpion said as he assumed a fighting stance against the two remaining versions of Triborg. "With only two left, this should be easy".

As soon as Scorpion finished, portals appeared on the ground, and from them emerged regular Tekunin drones that quickly cornered the other two ninjas.

"A diversion?" Sub Zero asked with a sarcastic voice.

"A diversion…" confirmed Scorpion.

The first line of robots wasted no time in switching their arms into flamethrowers and shooting at Sub Zero and Scorpion. Both ninjas used their abilities to counteract the flames, but soon more robots joined and started to gain ground against the grandmasters.

"Any ideas!?" asked Sub Zero.

Scorpion looked around and then noticed the frosted glass windows behind him. "Do you trust me!?" he asked back.

A little annoyed by that question, Sub Zero then decided to answer. "For the love of… YES!".

"Then make a wall!".

That made little sense for Sub Zero, the robots would melt through it in seconds. None the less, he did as the other asked. Sub Zero stopped blocking the fire and allowed Scorpion to take the heat full force for a moment as he created a ball which he then smashed on the ground to create a barrier as a result. The robots were starting to melt their capsule, but before Sub Zero could ask what Scorpion's idea was, the yellow ninja grabbed him with one hand, took out his spear with the other, and threw it at the glass; shattering it in the process and allowing both ninjas to fall into the third level of the connection room.

* * *

The makeshift wall did not last against more than two shots from the giant Seidan Gunner. Thankfully, the blast had only managed to push Ermac and the others back against the wall with all, but Sun, remaining conscious.

The teens got to their feet and heard all the guns being loaded. They then looked around and saw how every guard was pointing their guns in their direction.

"Intruders contained! What now, lieutenants?" they heard a guard on the background say.

"No prisoners!" they heard a voice say, most likely coming from one of the giant Seidan Guards.

As Ruby and the others prepared for what would be their final seconds, every single being was then distracted by a crashing noise coming from the Tekunin side of the complex. It didn't take long for everyone to then see the blue and yellow ninjas falling on the platforms of the third level; but before any of the guardsmen could react, Ermac used his powers to levitate pieces of metal. "Scram! I'll guard Sun" he ordered the other four teens as he then launched the metal pieces towards the distracted guardsmen, cutting, impaling, and smashing bones as a result.

The quick screams of pain took the other guardsmen out of their distraction and they were now looking at where the other teens had gone to. "Find them!" one of the lieutenants ordered. The one with the rocket launcher then proceeded to fire against Sub Zero and Scorpion.

Ruby had used her semblance to get to the upper floors where she managed to chop the guns from two of her attackers before knocking them into the second level. When two guards with naginatas went on to attack her, she took her time to deflect their blows, gain some distance, and then shoot at them, leaving her opponents unconscious.

Blake had managed to throw a barrel of waste towards three gunmen. After taking care of the barrel, they then found her again and shot at her. To their dismay, that Blake disappeared and two of them were taken down by the girl when she tied the neck of one of them with her bow and knocked another unconscious with a kick that made the guy crash against a wall. The last guard, however, secured his gun on his back and managed to deliver a roundhouse kick on Blake's face. That made her release the other guy who fell on the ground gasping for air while her attacker's gloves began to produce electricity. He would have pummeled and shocked her to death had Ren not acquired a secure hiding place on an upper level from which he was keeping guard on everyone.

Neptune seemed to be able to hold his ground against two guards as well. Tri-hard was in Kuan Dao mode and he managed to block, evade, and slash his opponents away. Unfortunately, the guards seemed able to absorb the electric shocks, so he depended more on the strength of his physical attacks. He managed to block two vertical slashes from his rivals and saw how a third was getting ready to shoot at him point-blank. Thankfully, the man was suddenly surrounded by a green light and sent flying to the other side of the room. He pushed the guards away and thanked Ermac who was standing close to Sun with his axe in hand.

Three normal guards arrived to fight Ermac. He looked up towards Ren, but the boy was distracted with gunmen getting close to him. The three guards then charged towards Ermac and he slashed horizontally just as a naginata was about to stab him. He used that momentum to also deliver a kick on the guard's head which sent the guy to the ground. Before the attacks from the others could also connect, he used a quick energy push that sent one of the guards back and into the ground. The other managed to block it and smashed his knee against Ermac's belly and hitting the back of the red ninja's head with his elbow. Ermac went back a few feet and the guard waited for what he would do next; that was a mistake since Ermac then used his power to make the guard levitate.

Before Ermac could do anything, however, he saw the first guard heading towards Sun and getting ready to stab the blond faunus. Ermac then dropped the floating guard and with all his strength, delivered a vertical chop that slashed through the guy's head, making some blood splash into Sun, waking him up. Sun managed to focus on the sliced head and the axe in front of him. When the weapon was taken out, the body fell to the ground and Sun fainted once again.

Ruby had managed to take care of her immediate foes and noticed that Neptune was closer to her and almost done with his set of Seidan Guards. She then heard more explosions and saw Scorpion fighting the lieutenant with the giant mace while Sub Zero fought the one with the canon.

Once Neptune with done with the second-to-last opponent, Ruby rammed against the least one and sent him through a hole in the ground. "Thanks!" Neptune told her.

Ruby didn't answer but instead looked at Sub Zero and Scorpion. "Feel up to the challenge?" she asked before cocking Crescent Rose.

Neptune didn't like the idea of fighting those two behemoths, but he had a duty above all. He switched Tri-hard into gun mode and cocked it as well. "You go help Sub Zero, I'll help Scorpion!". She then nodded and they both made their way.

* * *

'Damn Sektor and his mechanical enhancements!' Scorpion cursed in his mind. Not only was his opponent a capable and fast warrior despite his size. His armor was also thick, and the material seemed to absorb most of his fire attacks. The man behind the suit was also well trained, managing to block some of the slashes from his swords with that giant mace of his and giving Scorpion a small window of reaction.

"If you surrender now Earthrealmer, your life sentence will- AHH!" the Lieutenant began to say but was stopped by a strong dust bullet that he then saw came from Ruby and her scythe in one of its gun modes. "Why you little!" the man yelled as he was ready to smash Ruby with his club. He was stopped, however, when he felt a clank on the back of his head and then a force pulling him. It didn't make him fall, but he was then able to see a trail of fire from below that materialized into Scorpion once it was next to Ruby. Scorpion then pulled the chain again and the lieutenant fell on his back.

The girl was ready to celebrate, but Scorpion had another thing in mind. "Why did you come here!?" he asked her.

While she expected a 'thank you' from Scorpion, she answered his question. "You and Kua- I mean, Sub Zero seemed to be in trouble; so, Ne- Typhoon and I decided to come and help!".

"Typhoon?". Shortly after Scorpion wondered where the blue-haired boy was, they heard an explosion coming from the upper floors.

"STOP BLOWING MY MISSILES YOU WORM!" they heard the second lieutenant yell.

Sub Zero, while also enraged by the fact that the Neptune ran into battle against his opponent, was now glad that the teen seemed to be helping. Sub Zero's problem was that his adversary shot faster than he could ever run, and without being able to use martial arts and the other man's armor able to absorb the elemental properties of ice, the match was not in his favor. Neptune's arrival helped him by the boy being able to shoot at the incoming projectiles and distracting the guardsman while Sub Zero got closer. If the other man saw Sub Zero, then Neptune would be the one running towards him.

Seeing Neptune and Sub Zero's strategy from bellow, an idea popped in Ruby's head. Scorpion was ready to try and keep on fighting their lieutenant while he was down but was stopped by the girl. This annoyed him at first, but when she explained her plan, he was on board. As she was done explaining, their rival got up and was ready to smash them until Ruby got away with her semblance, and Scorpion teleported to the upper floor.

The guardsman was ready to follow, but shooting from behind him made him face the opposite way. Surely enough, once he turned around, he was now looking at Ruby and her scythe in shotgun mode. "If you really want to, I'll take care of you first then, punk!" he threatened before pressing a button and splitting his club in two. Worse of all, his armor seemed to be equipped with propellers that helped him move closer towards Ruby before she could get a clear shot.

Luckily, her idea did not involve her taking the behemoth down all by herself. She just needed him to be distracted while Scorpion did his part.

The fight on the upper floors seemed to be going on as usual. The only difference was that Scorpion managed to explain Ruby's plan to both Neptune and Sub Zero. His presence, however, had been noticed by the gunner, sure; but that was not a problem for their plan's execution.

Scorpion then teleported behind the lieutenant and was ready to use his swords to cut his neck. The guardsman, however, felt his presence and immediately turned around, grabbed Scorpion by the neck, slammed him against the floor, and then placed the mouth of the barrel against his face. The lieutenant, however, was not expecting a direct hit from Neptune with Tri-hard on his back. Electric shocks came from the trident, but it did nothing to stop the seidan's onslaught. With his free hand, he then grabbed Neptune by the face and picked him up in the air. "Stupid child! Didn't you see my armor absorbs electricity?".

"I did…" Neptune answered. "But that is not what I was looking for…".

Confused he then felt how something crashed against his back; and where Neptune had made a deep cut in the armor, he now felt something else inside. "The outside might be able to absorb elemental powers". He heard a third voice say. "But I bet the inside is different!". From what little he could turn his head; he was now able to see Sub Zero. Shortly after, he felt the inside of his armor freezing. He then dropped Neptune and slammed his gun against the blue ninja, sending him back a few feet. But the lieutenant was now distracted enough for Scorpion to escape.

The guardsman noticed and aimed to shoot at Scorpion, but Neptune then stabbed him again with his trident which this time managed to electrocute its target. It was not enough to kill him or knock him out, but it was enough to bring the lieutenant to his knees and drop the weapon.

Sub Zero then grabbed the gun and aimed at the lower floor where Ruby was on her back. The lieutenant with the club had managed to hit her one too many times and her aura was almost depleted. The man then combined his clubs into one again and was ready to deliver the final blow. Ruby prayed to any deity at that moment that the others had managed to secure the other man's gun, and sure enough, when the club was as high as it could get, she saw countless shots going through the lieutenant's body. That made him lose his grip on the club and it was the signal for Scorpion to jump down and throw his two spears into the club. He then spun around at high speed, propelling the club towards himself.

Before the club made contact, however, Scorpion teleported, and the club continued its trajectory to the upper floor. While that happened, the other lieutenant took his mask off and took deep breaths of air. Neptune then noticed his very feminine features with shoulder-length blonde hair and pale skin. That sight lasted mere seconds as the guy noticed the club heading his way. "Huh?" was all he managed to express as the club crashed against his head and pushed him towards the wall. In the end, the force of the club was enough to even dent the wall and the lieutenant's head got smashed with some of the skull chunks and blood now covering Neptune.

The boy was in shock. He had seen blood and disgusting wounds, of course; but never the level of brutality that was just displayed. He returned to the real world when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and then saw Sub Zero. After a moment he was now able to listen again. "… -phoon! Typhoon! Are you ok!?".

Neptune jumped back and slapped the other man's hand away. "What… Why… Why did you do that to him!?" Neptune screamed while pointing at the now headless blood fountain.

Sub Zero, on his end, seemed to find the lack of gratefulness insulting. "It was either him or us!" he told the teen. He then took a deep breath and continued. "We do what we must to protect our world. I will not say it's easy; I know that many cannot go through with it. I am no huntsman like you are, but even I know that the choice of taking a life will be somewhere down your path" he said before running towards the stairs. Neptune was left cold. He hated to admit it, but Sub Zero was right; maybe not today, not tomorrow, this month, or this year, but sooner or later he too would need to take a life. "Typhoon! We are needed now!" he heard Sub Zero scream at him. For the moment, Neptune decided that his guilt would come later, they still had a mission to complete.

* * *

Ruby panted for a long time after the lieutenant fell on the floor. She expected him to use aura to absorb some of the damage but felt horrified when blood began to flow out of some of the bullet holes. Worse of all was that half of his mask was broken and she saw the face of a much older man with spiky dark-gray hair, pale skin, a slight stubble beard, covered with scars throughout his face and with bright green eyes. At first glance, Ruby thought it might have been her uncle Qrow, but she relaxed when she noticed the physical differences.

"Ru-! Thorn!" She heard the voice of Neptune calling her. She looked at the stairs and saw both Neptune and Sub Zero. She then heard more gunfire happening on the other side and decided to join the others before going to help; but just as she stood up, a hand grabbed her by the leg and took her down. Ruby managed to turn and lay on her elbows, but the lieutenant then got on top of her and began to strangle her; and just as she heard Neptune and Sub Zero running to help her, her face was covered by blood due to Scorpion's spear going through the seidan's forehead. Almost instantly, the spear was pulled back and the head was ripped off from the man's body.

Ruby remained still until she saw Scorpion kneeling in front of her, removing the body and offering his hand to help her get up. She took it and got on her feet as the others arrived.

"Ru… Thorn! Are you ok!?" Neptune asked her.

It took her a few seconds, but the words finally came out of her mouth. "… Yes… Yes…".

They all then looked towards the others still fighting at the other side of the room. "Let's go!" Scorpion ordered and they all went towards the stairs again.

Neptune and Ruby remained behind the other ninjas and he used that moment to talk to Ruby who still looked shaken. "I know how you feel. But keep it together until we are out of here, ok?".

She wanted to say many things, but she also understood there would be time for it later. "Ok".

* * *

The fight against the other Seidan Guards seemed to be in a stalemate. While Blake and Ren were able to take down some guards, they were only being disposed of by Ermac when they got too close to Sun. The fight went on until some of the guards stopped to listen to a message in their helmets. After a while, they then began to yell "Fallback! The Lieutenants are down, the lieutenants are down! The Purge Protocol has been activated!".

The ninjas, Ruby and Neptune arrived a short time after every guardsman stopped shooting and began to leave the room. Surprised, all seven invaders got to where Sun's sleeping body was.

"What is going on!?" Ren asked the ninjas.

Soon after, an alarm was activated and a female automatic voice began to speak.

_'Attention all personnel: Purge protocol has been activated. I repeat: Purge Protocol has been activated!'._

As the last of the Seidan Guards left, every door was then immediately shut and secured with two more sets of locked doors.

"What is the Purge Protocol?" asked Blake with rising concern. Unfortunately, none of the ninjas answered immediately.

"This is the first time we've ever heard of such protocol," Scorpion said after long consideration.

The alarm kept going while all the invaders went silent. Ruby was then able to hear a swishing sound. She looked up and found the source of it. "Look!" she told everyone while pointing at the vents opening.

A thick pink smoke then began to cascade from the vents and Sub Zero wasted no time in giving out orders again. "Everyone: get close to me!" he yelled, and they all complied. Sub Zero then made an ice ball with his hands which he then smashed on the floor to make an ice dome as big as a room while the pink smoke began to surround them.

Neptune looked at the gas accumulating and quickly turned around to face Scorpion. "What… is that?" he asked while pointing outside.

"If I had to guess, the Purge Protocol consists of poisoning all living beings".

"But we are safe here. Right?" asked a concerned Ruby.

"For as long as we have air" answered Sub Zero.

Neptune gulped and followed up with another question. "How much time do we have?".

Sub Zero then stroked his chin for a moment before answering. "Roughly; I'd say-" he began to explain before they heard booming noises coming from the Tekunin side of the complex. They all then saw as the remaining bodies of Triborg materialized along with a squad of cyber ninjas behind them who then began to march towards the dome as their hands changed into light-swords, buzz-saws, or flame-throwers. "Not much time!" Sub Zero finally said.

"Everyone, stay still!" Ermac then ordered. "The last thing we need is for our air supply to run out faster. Look around for anything that could help us".

They all did as Ermac ordered and quickly realized some good things. "Heavy pieces of metal fell during the fight with the Seidan Guards!" Blake pointed out.

"The gas has stopped falling!" Ren then said.

"The third floor seems to be clean!" finally stated Scorpion.

"Think you could use your powers to take care of the robots?" Neptune asked Ermac.

"No" the red ninjas stated. "It'll take a lot of concentration to move one of those pieces. They are also cyber-ninjas; I may take care of some, but others will be moving out of the way faster than I'll be able to hit them".

"It will also take them less effort to break the barrier" pointed out Sub Zero. "Could any of your semblances work here?".

They all shook their heads, but Ermac then remembered the giant liquid container in the middle of the room. "What about you Typhoon. Doesn't your semblance allow you to control water?".

Everyone then looked at Neptune with hope in their eyes, but he just looked at them with panic. "Well… I mean… yes, but… I can't!".

"This is a life or death situation. Ne- Typhoon! Why not!?" Blake asked.

"It's not like I can actually control it!".

"WHY NOT!?" Ruby asked with rising anger as the robots were now a few feet away.

"I know about my semblance, yes! But I am also hydrophobic! I only learned how to keep water away from me, ok!?".

"That works for us!" Everyone heard Ermac say as he used his telekinesis to pick up a fallen pipeline.

The Triborgs and their minions saw the pipe and assumed defensive positions. The tube began to spin in the air, and they were expecting the piece of metal to be shot at them; they were not expecting it to fly towards the cooling tube. The pipe broke the glass and even got stuck in it for a moment before the glass began to break even more and then all the liquid got out and washed all the robots away with a giant wave. There was no celebration, however, as the wave got closer to the dome. All the huntsmen in training yelled while the ninjas grabbed them and placed them close to Neptune.

After the shattering sound of the wave crashing against the dome was heard by all, the teenagers were surprised when nothing seemed to have slammed against them. All seven people opened their eyes and saw as they were still completely dry and inside what could be described as a bubble while some robots floated around them not moving.

"We… are ok…?" asked Ren with genuine surprise. They all then looked at Neptune who was holding his arms up and it seemed as if he was pushing the water away.

"Seems your plan worked, Ermac" Sub Zero said while also sounding relieved. Scorpion also let out a long sigh, surprised the plan worked.

Before Ermac could say anything, Neptune began to scream his way. "DON'T you ever do THAT again! DO YOU HEAR ME!?".

Wasting no time, Neptune began to move towards the stairs. As they did, Sub Zero began to explain their escape plan. "We came in through the third level. Once we are there, hold your breath until we reach the hall from where we came in. Scorpions tell 'him' to have a portal open where we discussed!".

It took them a few minutes, but they finally reached the upper floors as the air was beginning to run short. They wasted no time, however, and ran towards the tunnel that led to the cliff.

As they reached it, Neptune was the last to go in. That allowed one of the remaining robots to propel itself out of the liquid and slam Neptune against the ground and to take his mask off. Just as Sub Zero came back to help him, Neptune then grabbed Tri-hard and turned into its Kuan Dao form to then stab the robot though the chin, making the blade pop out from the top of its head; effectively disposing of the robot.

When the blue-haired teen did not remove the body, Sub Zero went to help him. "Are you ok?" the ninja asked. "Did he hurt-".

"They are alive…" Neptune whispered. He looked at Sub Zero's eyes, but the ninja just let out a sigh. "You said they were just robots, but they are not just that!" he said a little louder.

"This is why we didn't want you here, to begin with!" Sub Zero then said with a commanding voice. "This is not the time for us to explain! We need to get out now!". As he finished, they then saw two arms, a red and a blue one, emerging from the liquid. "We have to go now!". Without further reproach, Neptune grabbed and put on the mask again before following the others.

Once they all got out on the stone platform again, Sub Zero then went on to grab Sun's neck device. "What are you doing!?" Blake asked him with panic. She then ran to take Sub Zero away from Sun but was stopped by Scorpion who held her.

"Do not worry, he knows what he is doing!" Scorpion told her.

They all then saw as he froze some specific parts of the collar; and in no time at all, the device came off. The celebratory cheering stopped, however, when the sound of footsteps grew closer. "Open the door!" Sub Zero ordered, and Ruby complied. He then threw the device in, Ruby closed the door and then saw as Sub Zero froze it with a giant wall of ice. "Everyone: jump!" he said as all three ninjas ran towards the cliff.

"You are joking right?" Ren asked skeptically.

"In case you haven't noticed that thing is going to blow up!" Scorpion yelled while standing at the border of the cliff. The huntsmen in training looked back and then forward, not sure what to do. "Trust us!" Scorpion screamed; not angry, not commanding, not even annoyed, but with concern. They all then decided to trust them and ran off the cliff.

Just as they jumped, Scorpion went after them; and a loud explosion and a bright light were noticeable. They fell at a high speed, screaming all the way but still being able to hear Scorpion say "Now!". A blue portal materialized just above the pointy rocks at the bottom and took them to the bathroom at Beacon once they went through it. They flew in the air for a short while, but then gravity worked again and took them down to the tile floor.

All four students then panted for a long time before reality kicked in. "We… we are… back?" Neptune asked in disbelief and taking his mask off.

Ruby then sat and looked around. "We are… We are!" she said excitedly as she and the other two also removed their masks. Their celebration was cut short, however, when they saw the unconscious Sun being carried by Ermac. They ran to help their friend and grew concerned when they noticed the blond boy had not woken up at any point after the fight.

"He will live. Do not worry" Ermac told them. "He must have received another dose by the collar before we left. Give him a few hours and he will wake up".

After Ermac was done explaining, Sub Zero and Scorpion removed their masks and addressed them all. "Ruby Rose, Lie Ren, Blake Belladonna, and Neptune Vasillas. While tonight did not go as we expected, we are grateful for your assistance; and despite what you may think, we are glad your friend is safe". All ninjas then placed their left fist against their right palm and then bowed.

It was Scorpion who then continued. "We should leave now; it must be already past midnight. We will take you to your rooms to rest" he said as Ermac opened the door.

Ruby, Blake, Ren, and Neptune, carrying the unconscious Sun, then left, but Neptune was then stopped by Sub Zero. "We need to talk; it won't take long".

Everyone heard that; but rather than questioning, they just looked at Neptune and Ren offered to carry Sun out of the bathroom.

Once Kuai Liang and Neptune were alone, the first began to talk. "I know that what you all saw, and especially what you had to do, was not something you were ready for. I don't know what you might be thinking of us right now, but rest assured that we mean you no harm".

Neptune had not said anything. But when he had used his weapon to kill the robot, the cut had made a part of the metal shell covering the face fall off and he saw the cloudy green eye of another human or faunus woman almost crying. "Killing her was bad… but…" he began to explain.

"Go on" Kuai Liang encouraged.

"She… she said something…" Neptune admitted. Kuai Liang said nothing as he waited for the rest. "She… thanked me… Why?".

Kuai Liang took a deep breath before speaking again. "I can't offer you a clear answer. But I know of someone who can" he told Neptune as he placed a hand over the teen's shoulder. "Not only that; the time has come for all of you to know the truth". That made Neptune look at him with eyes wide open as Kuai Liang began to walk out of the bathroom. "Tell all of them to meet us at the library during breakfast. We will tell you all we can. You've earned it".

With that, both Neptune and Kuai Liang left the bathroom and gathered with the others. "Everything ok Neptune?" Blake asked.

"Yes," he answered with a small smile before they began to move through the now dark corridors.


	30. Chapter 30

"We are here," Kuai Liang told everyone as he and the other six people arrived at the hall of the RWBY and JNR rooms. Initially, Ruby wanted to enter without making much noise believing Yang and Weiss to be asleep already. But opening the door showed that they were both awake and that Nora and Jaune were also there.

Before Ruby could greet them, however, Yang had already jumped down from her bed and ran to hug her, almost tackling the younger girl to the ground. "Ruby! We were so worried! You can't imagine how glad I am that you are alive!". When the moment passed, she then noticed Blake standing behind their team leader with her arms crossed and an unamused expression on her face. "Blake! No, I didn't mean to imply that you are less-".

"Don't worry, Yang. I understand" the cat faunus said, calming her partner. A moment later, however, she was also receiving a hug from Weiss. "Ok… what is going on?" she asked now worried.

After inspecting the room, Sub Zero then asked a follow-up question with a hint of anger. "And where is Tomas?".

Ren had managed to squeeze past the RWBY girls to meet with Jaune and Nora, the later who was now hanging from his neck. "Oh yeah… You guys were not here!" Jaune said.

"Here for what?" asked Neptune as he entered the room carrying Sun with the faunus' arm around his neck. That immediately made everyone forget what they were talking about what Jaune and his team were doing.

Yang was the first to arrive and helped Neptune with Sun's other arm. "You did it!" she happily exclaimed.

"But… what happened to him?" then asked Weiss seeing as Sun was still wearing a tattered and bloodied uniform while also unconscious.

Once everyone was inside, Hanzo closed the door with the other two ninjas inside as well. To say the room was getting uncomfortable was an understatement, but no one complained. "You were right, they wanted to turn him into a robot; a cyborg to be more precise".

Jaune, Weiss, Nora, and Yang then turned to look at Sun's body resting on Blake's bed. "But why?" wondered Nora out loud.

"Who cares! I say we go to that hotel and do some-" Yang began to say while putting her gauntlets on, but was stopped by Ruby mid-sentence.

"Yang! No!".

That shocked all the huntsmen students present. More than a younger sister standing up to her older sibling, they were surprised by the seriousness and even fear that came from her voice. "We had a deal. They helped us rescue Sun, we give them our information, and we drop investigating into Seido Industries as a whole!". Yang and her group then looked at the others and were surprised that they were also on board with Ruby's explanation.

The girl then looked towards Ermac-s direction. "And… I want to apologize if we did something out of line and against your direct orders".

"Me too" Blake then said.

"Same here" Neptune added.

"As do I" Ren finished with a bow.

Ermac did not respond; he just nodded. After that, the room went silent until Scorpion spoke again. "You were mentioning the reason why Smoke is not here. Care to continue?" he asked Jaune.

"Smoke? Oh, Tomas, right… well…" he trailed off and planned carefully what to say next; he didn't want to reveal his forgery to the ninjas after all. "We thought of a lead as to how Seido could be controlling Pyrrha: Cardin Winchester". That caught everyone's attention. "We went to look for him in his team's room, but they told us he was in Vale since yesterday. We went there and discovered that someone tried to kill him by intoxicating him; Tomas saved Cardin, and we got back to Beacon to give him medical care. My guess is that he will be tomorrow's gossip".

Kuai Liang then began to stroke his chin. "… Interesting…" was all he said before pointing at the door with his head, telling his team to leave the room.

Before they left, Yang stopped them. "Where are you going? We haven't told you the details. You haven't told us about what was at The Pyramid" she told them.

Sub Zero then turned around and calmly explained. "You can brief each other. Right now, we must speak with Tomas about him leaving his post. Although I suggest you rest as much as you can; Neptune will tell you why. Good night, and again, thank you all who came with us". With a final bow from the three ninjas, they left the room.

Nora then looked at Neptune. "What does he mean?" she asked him.

"Oh right! Umm… Sub Zero says that they want to tell us the truth!" Neptune answered excitedly.

That shocked everyone who immediately went on to gossip and theorize about what they would learn. All but Nora, that is, who just had one question. "Sub Zero? Who's that?".

* * *

Ermac opened the door to their dormitory and thankfully, Smoke was occupied with something on their desk. The gray ninja did not even turn around before he spoke. "Grandmasters, Ermac. I see the mission was a success" he said while continuing whatever he was doing.

"Not entirely" Sub Zero said. "We discovered much about our enemies. We are fighting the Tekunin, but they are being helped by high-ranking members of Orderrealm; not rogue cells as we once thought" he reported but a trace of hostility was present on his voice.

"I see. Now, before you scold me for leaving there is something you should know about".

Hanzo then continued. "We already know about Cardin Winchester being intoxicated and left for dead. Why would you leave your post?".

"Because I found something else!" he said before moving out of the way and showing them many vials full of chemicals and the bottle of spirit he filled with Cardin's stomach contents. "This bottle contains what was in Cardin's stomach. In this world, they'll believe he was intoxicated, yes. But, and I am talking to you Kuai Liang, look what happens when I do this!" he said before putting a drop of a bright green liquid on a glass containing a sample of what Cardin ingested. After a few seconds, the liquid turned blue and purple vapors began to emanate from the glass.

"We do not understand what this means," Ermac said. It wasn't until he and Hanzo looked at Kuai Liang's shocked face that they understood it was a serious matter.

"Adulterated Outworld rice wine…" Kuai Liang said in realization.

Hanzo still felt confused. "Death by poison; it is not uncommon for assassins to use that method, and Sektor was Lin Kuei. It makes sense he still uses their methods".

"That's the problem" Tomas began to explain. "True, Outworld's rice wine is deadly for earthrealmers; we don't have a strong enough liver to process the mixture and it is way faster and effective than drinking gallons of Earth's strongest alcoholic beverages. It however leaves enough time for the victim to clean his body before dying of intoxication".

"So, what is so special about this rice wine?" asked Hanzo.

"It has spores from a rare fungus only found on the Living Forrest…" Kuai Liang said, coming out of his shock. "The spores are deadly if ingested; even small quantities can kill you in less than five minutes. They are also untraceable, and the only way to determine if the spores are there is by adding a compound of Chlorine and copper" he said while pointing at the green liquid.

"And why is it shocking?" asked Ermac.

"Because this is not a standard method used by the Lin Kuei". With that revelation, Hanzo and Ermac were now surprised. "It was a formula devised by me and… Bi Han. We knew that if the formula became public others would start to use it or try and find an antidote. Over the years I've only told two other people about it: Smoke…".

Before the blue ninja could finish, Tomas continued. "And Kuai Liang's dead former apprentice, Frost".

After what Smoke said, Kuai Liang's shock turned into anger. "Don't you dare-!".

"The other members of team CRDL said he was frequently meeting with a young woman who is trained in martial arts, has anger issues, and goes by the name 'Elsa'. Does that ring a bell?" Smoke said, not mockingly, but with wholehearted seriousness. Sub Zero went quiet for a moment, not wanting to think that her former student had, for some reason, faked her death. "I am not saying I am certain she is still alive. I saw the carrier explode. But it is something we should consider".

Kuai Liang then sat on his bed and massaged his temple. "Let's rest for today. Tomorrow we must tell the children what is going on and then we must report our findings. With the information they gathered, we may have a chance to strike back".

All ninjas then nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Ineko! Why haven't you cleared the lower floors!" the burly bearded man yelled at the still flooded floors of the complex inside The Pyramid.

"Sub-Lieutenant Ga, sir! Body retrieval is taking longer than anticipated! The Tekunin require more time!" answered his younger partner.

Nervous, Ga then yelled again. "We are ten minutes behind schedule! The commander is already on his way, and I want-!". Ga then heard a booming sound from behind him, and when he turned around, he saw his superior, Hotaru, and his assistant Ryu emerging from the red portal. None of the men said anything, they just stared at Ga. The pure rage on their eyes told the older man all he needed to know, so he wasted no time in following protocol. "Commander Hotaru, sir! Permission to talk!".

"Permission granted…" Hotaru answered almost grinding his teeth.

"We have confirmation that we were attacked by seven people, sir! We know the identity of three of them". Ga then presented a tablet with three profiles. "The first two are the earthrealmers Grandmaster Sektor warned us about; Hanzo Hasashi, code name 'Scorpion', and Kuai Liang, code name 'Sub Zero'. It is, however, the third one which intrigues us; it's-".

"Ermac. The monster born from soul magic created by Shao Kahn to be loyal only to him, I know". Hotaru then looked at the shock on his subordinate's face. "I have received new intelligence recently. Protocols were to be implemented, we just never expected them to act so soon. What about the other four?".

Ga then swiped the hologram and zoom-ins of the other four appeared. "They fill none of the criteria we have of Earthrealm allies of the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei; furthermore, judging by their clothes and weapons, they seem to come from this universe, commander".

"Do we know what they came here for?".

"Scorpion and Sub Zero were found at the Tekunin side of the complex. We believe they were spying. The other five were not discovered until some guards saw them escaping the prison on our section".

That information caught Hotaru's attention. "A jailbreak… do we have an updated inventory?".

"They destroyed the main computer, but the prison guards just finished a manual counting. Only one prisoner is missing".

The identity of the person in question did not shock Hotaru at all. When he heard that there had been a break-in the night of Sun's arrival, he figured it was too much of a coincidence. It also helped prove their theory about Lionheart's relationship with Cinder and her organization, yet there was something off. "Are you sure the ninjas were Sub Zero and Scorpion?". Ga didn't say anything; he just nodded. This proved interesting and troubling; Raiden's arrival in Orderrealm revealed that he was in charge of finding out what was going on in this universe but would he be gullible enough to trust Cinder Fall and her associates as to join forces with them?.

"Commander Hotaru, sir!" a young man in armor arrived and saluted.

"At ease, Ineko. Report" then asked Ga.

"Sub-Lieutenant, the bodies are ready for transport. We need the approval of the commander to take them to the rift portal".

"Lead the way!" Hotaru commanded. On their way, he used the time to keep questioning the Sub-Lieutenant. "How many casualties?".

"The Tekunin are still counting. Ten guardsmen received severe wounds from Ermac. A total of fifteen troopers died during the altercation. Two Lieutenants using the prototype 'Hercules' and 'Brachininae' armors; they were killed by the ninjas".

Their journey took them to an elevator and then to the house they used as a coverup. In the living room, they then found medical experts from Orderrealm performing the autopsies and preparing the bodies for proper burial. "Ineko, get me the forms. I want them back home before…" Hotaru's attention was broken when he saw the name on one of the bodies. The identity of the lieutenant with the giant minigun was unmistakable to Hotaru. "Jugeun…" he said with a low voice as memories of the first time he met the young man came to him.

* * *

Hotaru stared into the rainy day the capital citadel was having from his office. A time that for most people from other realms would be an annoyance, was a blessing for Orderrealm. Water was a limited resource and every drop counted. The miracle of rain, however, was not enough to take him out of his anger.

Not a month had passed after the peace accord between the Central Government of Orderrelam and the Seidan Resistance was ratified by the Senate and he was already being called to a public trial for war crimes. He hated that he had warned both the Prime Minister and the Senate about the now public figures of the Resistance using the accord to undermine the foundations of the realm itself, but they instead ignored it 'to finally put an end to the conflict'.

He also hated to admit that he had grown used to a cup or two of wine once every two weeks since becoming the overlord of Lei Chen. He never drank in Orderrealm, of course, it was against the law and one of the conditions for the negotiations to begin was that he stepped down from ruling Lei Chen until the accord was signed, making his guilty pleasure now unobtainable.

For decades had he had done nothing more than put his life on the line to protect Orderrealm and all that it stood for. He had taken down powerful mafias, taken into custody hundreds of leaders from the Resistance, he even helped Grava stop an Oni invasion from the Netherrealm led by the corrupted soul of a former Outworld warlord. But still, politicians had to play politics, and if it wasn't their necks on the line, they were fine.

Three knocks on his door took him out of his thoughts. "Enter!" he instructed as he also turned around and sat on his chair.

Immediately, a cadet stepped inside and saluted Hotaru. "Commander Hotaru, sir!".

"At ease," he told the other man.

"Sir, your…" the man stopped, clearly not liking what he was about to say. "Your… security convoy is ready to escort you to the Senate for… for your trial," he said the last part with disgust.

Hotaru sighed and then noticed the delicate features and well-kept hair of the cadet, a descendant from a noble family perhaps. "Anything bothering you, cadet?" he asked, but the young man just sighed and looked away. "You have my permission to speak freely," Hotaru told him.

The cadet then answered, "Sorry sir, but the law forbids me as a Seidan Guard to speak ill of the ruling bodies as it can be considered treason and it's punishable with death".

Hotaru was surprised by that answer. "Impressive! Then you must have also heard of article forty-eight of the Seidan Guards' conduct manual".

"… Any superior can ask, in complete confidentiality, for the opinions of one of his subordinates and then consider if said subordinate is a threat for the institution or the realm…" he answered, and when Hotaru said nothing and just nodded his head, the boy understood he was free to speak his mind. "Why are you allowing this to happen!? The Resistance doesn't care about Seido, they just want the power to do as they wish! We were so close to finishing this war, and are we supposed to just let them walk over us!? The Prime Minister and the Senate don't care about the realm, so why do what they want!?".

Hotaru said nothing for a long time. He just looked at the boy while touching his fingertips together. "What is your name cadet?" he then asked.

"Jugeun, sir" the young man answered.

Hotaru then got up from his chair and went to a cabinet to find a leather folder with Jugeun's name written in golden ink. "It says here you are from the Salam family; powerful traders from the mining continent".

"Yes sir…" Jugeun answered with disgust.

"Excellent grades, interesting amount of condecorations, good recommendations from many of your superiors…" Hotaru then closed the folder and looked at the man once again. "Why would someone like you sacrifice anything to join the Seidan Guard? You have the money, the power, the brain, and forgive my insolence, but you also seem to be a handsome individual. Why then?".

Jugeun then seemed to have gained back the passion from before. "Because I want to prove myself, sir. I don't regret or sensor my family's status, but I also know that there is more in life than belonging to high society. Also, sir, you helped me make my mind". That grabbed Hotaru's attention. "A couple of years ago, miners and bookkeepers were kidnapped by a Resistance cell. Many told the local guardsmen to let them kill the workers and that fighting was too dangerous; but the captain, who claimed to have been instructed by you, went on to rescue them anyway because it was right. He fought bravely and did not stop until the last miner was safe. He, unfortunately, lost his arm in the mission, but he always said that 'as long as it is for Seido, then it is worth it. Just as the Commander always told us'". Jugeun ended his explanation.

Hotaru looked at the younger man for a long moment once again. He then stored the folder back and went to get something from his desk. When he seemed to have retrieved what he was looking for, his demeanor changed into complete seriousness. "Do you swear for all that we stand and the Elder Gods that the safety of the realm and our way of life is the most important thing to you?" he asked and Jugeun nodded. "Good!" Hotaru said and then stood next to the cadet. He then tied with a golden rope a dark blue gem shaped like a drop to the left arm of Jugeun. "When we arrive at the main hall of the Senate, leave the convoy when you see another guard wearing a gem just like this; he will take you to an officer who will be wearing three of this. You will follow his, and only his instructions. Do you understand?".

Jugeun was now confused, but he also trusted his highest commanding officer. "Yes sir!".

"Good. Then we should be going". Hotaru said casually again as he led the way out of his office.

* * *

The memory of his encounter with Jugeun ended as Ga then went on to question Hotaru. "Commander is everything alright?".

"Yes… just remembering. Jungeun was at the Senate for the day of New Order. I knew he would get far he was a good soldier". Hotaru then looked at the other lieutenant's head resting inches away from his neck. "And who is this?" he asked.

"Lieutenant Si Ren, commander," Ga said before letting out a sigh. "Not a sticker for the rules, but he would rather die than betray the Guard. Had many chances to get a promotion, but he rejected them. 'If I die, it will be in the field with my men' he always said".

"You knew him?" Hotaru asked.

"He was one of my instructors".

Hotaru finally finished the last form and gave them to the medical staff. He then faced Ga once again. "Why did you leave the fight?" he asked as he crossed his arms.

"I never got to fight them, commander. Shao Kahn's monster blocked our path; by the time we got out, the cooling container was already broken. It is my understanding that the Tekunin began the Purge Protocol; our men left before being poisoned. Unfortunately, the drones were not ready to fight them either" Ga said referring to the Tekunin in a derogatory manner. "Permission to speak freely, sir!". That announcement caught both Ryu and Hotaru off-guard; nonetheless, the latter nodded. "Do we have to rely on these… machines? They lack instinct, drive, and passion, sir. I believe that if we had waited for reinforcements we would have won. Nothing good has come from those metal monsters ever since-" Ga ranted but stooped when he saw the panicking face of Ineko. He then turned around and found himself face-to-face with Sektor. "G-g-g-g-grandmaster!" he stuttered.

"Please, continue what you were saying Sub-Lieutenant!". Ga said nothing. "Then allow me to present a counterpoint. Thanks to us your daughter's heart is now working properly, and she will not die of young age. Thanks to us, your realm is now a technological marvel. Thanks to us, you can speak with family in a matter of seconds!" he listed threateningly while stepping forward. "Tell me then, how we have made things worse for you!?".

"Enough!" Hotaru said to both. "Sub-Lieutenant, apologize to the grandmaster," he told Ga. Ga then bowed, but Hotaru corrected him again. "No. Truly apologize". Ga then got on his knees and placed his hands on the ground and under his forehead. "Grandmaster?" Hotaru then asked Sektor.

"… Apology accepted" the red cyborg said.

Ga then stood up and looked at Hotaru one last time. "Dismissed!" he told to the man and Ineko. They then bowed and left the room. Hotaru and Ryu then looked at Sektor one more time, but with anger. "Never mind that your ground troops failed; the Seidan Guard underperformed tonight as well. But your precious pet project was defeated despite your promises AND your apprentice failed to kill a teenager. Lord Onaga is not satisfied, as you surely can figure out".

Sektor then bowed apologetically. "Indeed. I have nothing to offer but apologies. The room is ready to be emptied and…" Sektor began to explain but stopped midsentence. Before Hotaru could ask what was happening, Sektor stood up straight once again. "My lords, the memories from one of the units has been retrieved. And it shows the face of one of the invaders!".

Ryu and Hotaru's anger was quickly replaced with intrigue. Without any moment to lose, Sektor's eyes then glowed and he began to project images on an empty white wall. They showed a first-person view of what the cyborg saw, and it was the image of a teenager, most likely, wearing a black mask that covered the lower part of his face, struggling against the robot. The footage continued until the cyborg managed to take the mask off. Sektor then paused the video and zoomed into the teen's face. "Interesting…" Hotaru said while stroking his chin.

"Do you know who he is?" Sektor asked.

"Not at all. But the only person they took was Sun Wukong". Hotaru said to the robot.

Sektor then seemed to understand where Hotaru was going with his theory. "The employee from this morning!".

"This boy must have a connection with Sun. If we find him, we'll know who it is they are working for. Either the Witch has convinced Raiden to work with her, or we are now fighting against a new faction…" Hotaru said while stroking his chin. "Schedule personal interviews with our employees; one of them has to know who this boy is". He ordered as Ryu opened a portal.

* * *

On the RWBY dorm, almost no one went to sleep. Yang had at one point been so enraged that her sister had almost died at the hands of the seidan lieutenant that she was ready to march to KHTE's dorm and then turn their skeletons into mush. She stopped once she realized that A: they would most likely turn her into a headless blood fountain before she could lay a finger on one of them, and B: she remembered the constant warnings about the mission being far too dangerous. She also remembered the complete professionalism with which Hanzo and Tomas acted, so they were not at fault.

Bu the events left the girls paranoid for the night. 'What if whoever wanted to kill Cardin came for them for not allowing the boy to die?', 'What if either the Seidans or the Tekunin had followed them back to Beacon?', 'What was out there that they did not know about'. Whatever a couple of hours of sleep they managed to get were not relaxing and they all woke up just as tired as last night.

Over at the JNPR dorm, things were not that good either. While thoughts of a still unknown enemy coming to kill them were not present, Jaune was again falling into a guilt-trip and both Ren and Nora kept having nightmares about one being found dead and the other being turned into a robot. The only people who seemed to have a good night's sleep were Sun and Neptune; although granted, one of them had not even woken up since last night. Neptune, who slept through the night on a sleeping-bag, immediately stood up to check on Sun, still unconscious in Pyrrha's bed.

Jaune sat up and stretched for a moment before noticing their guest. "Still out?" he asked.

"At least his breathing is stable now" Neptune answered.

Ren and Nora woke up soon after, but they were shaken when they heard knocks on their door. Jaune then walked slowly towards it and stood next to the doorframe, ready for anything bad. "Who is it?" he asked trying to sound normal.

"It's Tomas!" the voice of the silver-haired boy said from the other side of the door. "You guys should be getting ready. I also came here for Neptune".

Jaune then looked at the boy in question with a raised eyebrow. Neptune also looked confused but then remembered. "Oh, yeah, open up!". Jaune did as told and they now saw Tomas with his arms crossed and an unamused face. Neptune then went on to put on his shoes and then walked towards the door.

Before they left, Tomas then looked at Jaune, Ren, and Nora. "Kuai Liang and the others will be waiting for you at the library in an hour. Don't be late" he instructed before leaving with Neptune.

As soon as the door closed, Neptune then looked at his guide and started a conversation. "So… where are you taking me?".

"Breakfast!" Tomas answered with a cheerful voice and a smile on his face.

* * *

Tomas and Neptune were now sitting on the courtyard, watching the last minutes of the sunrise; Smoke eating a bowl of fruit and Neptune slowly a sandwich. The blue-haired boy was confused by what the other was doing in the first place and then the memories of the other night came back.

Before Neptune could raise a question, however, Tomas then spoke. "Tell me, what are you eating?" he asked.

"Um… a sandwich?" Neptune answered still confused.

"What can you tell me about it?"

"I don't know, man. It's just… a sandwich".

"Well, what can you tell me about where we are?".

Neptune then looked around but found nothing out of the ordinary. "I don't know… it looks… nice, I guess? The statue is really cool… and it is well kept".

"Want to know what the thoughts of that woman were before she died?" Tomas then asked before taking another bite.

The suddenness of the question almost made Neptune choke. After regaining stable breathing, he then looked at Tomas. The silver-haired boy did not look at him back but just explained. "We go through our lives taking things for granted and not looking at them with much appreciation. Ever heard of the phrase 'You don't know what you have until you lose it'?". He did not know where Smoke was going with this; still, Neptune nodded. "Why did you pick that sandwich?" Tomas then asked.

Neptune then looked at his food again. "Because… it was easy to eat outside".

"Ok. I chose this fruit salad because it is the closest, I can get to my favorite food: Bublanina. A pastry filled with various sweet fruits. You have also not noticed that right now it's a warm morning, or that this courtyard looks incredible with this amount of sunlight, or that it drizzled just before sunrise and everything feels slightly wet".

"Ok… those are good things I guess…".

"Now imagine your ability to experience all these good things in life taken away". That made Neptune feel strange emptiness. "The mechanization process takes away your basic senses. But it also takes away your consciousness. Just before that woman died, her true self regained control; but the memories of being a mindless drone bombarded her. Not only that but for a small amount of time, she could no longer feel like she used to. She had no skin to feel, she could no longer smell or taste, every sound was being processed according to specifications, she didn't even have a proper mouth with which to scream. In her mind, she was already a walking corpse".

Neptune never considered that in the first place. "But… did I have to kill her?".

"From what she said, it seems to be what she wanted. The truth is that after the process you can either live feeling as if your body will never move and you will be controlling a computer game for the rest of your life, or you will want to end it all; I know for a fact not many can do the first".

Neptune thought about what Tomas said for a while before asking something he seemed to figure out. "Are you one of them? Is that why Kuai Liang sent you to talk with me?".

Tomas finished his fruit salad before giving a quick smirk and answering. "Congratulations, you figured it out".

Truth be told, Neptune was not really expecting that answer. "WAIT WHAT!? But… but… you don't… you know!" he said while pointing at Tomas from head to toes.

"I was. Then I died and… things happened with a sorcerer. He remade me into a… 'human' of sorts before I was then brought back to life". Tomas then looked at Neptune who seemed to have gone quiet and saw the boy with his mouth hanging open and still pointing at him.

"You… sorcerer… dead… WHAT!?"

"Don't worry about it, we will explain later. The important thing is that you must understand this: if we defeat Sektor and Seido, the people they've turned into cyborgs will be free again; but most will not like what has become of them. Know that there might be a majority who, if they have not died in battle, will ask for a mercy kill" Tomas explained.

Neptune then finally seemed to understand. But there was still something bothering him. "I get what you are saying, but… are you sure they would prefer that? What if they surrender and want to live?".

"Based on personal experience. There will be very few. But those who wish to go on can do it, of course. They'll have to live with a horrible secret, might be seen as greater monsters by society, sure. But they can". After a long silence from Neptune's part, Tomas then continued with a question of his own. "Do you see us as evil?".

Neptune then thought his answer and said it carefully. "I mean… you speak and kill as if it was normal. Don't YOU find it strange?".

"Sadly, that was the world we were born in kid". Neptune then seemed ready to correct him, but Tomas stopped him. "Our world kid, not this one". Tomas then stood up and dropped his empty plastic plate on the trash. "Ready to go?" he then asked Neptune as he turned to look at the blue-haired teen.

"Yeah… and… thanks. It was helpful". They then began their return to the main building but not before Neptune asked more questions on the way. "So… you mentioned you ate the fruit salad because it reminded you of a desert you like, what was it called?".

"Bublanina. Why?".

"Why is it special to you?".

"Ah. It was my favorite dish back in Czechoslovakia. I ate it constantly".

"So… how is… that place different to Vale?".

"Well for starters, Vale didn't get divided because of history and language from the other group of people living there".

"How different could they be? Especially the language"

"_My Češi jsme velmi hrdí lidé, příteli_" Tomas said, leaving Neptune with an answer and more questions.

* * *

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

* * *

_**-By my calculations, Smoke would have been born in old Czechoslovakia.**_

_**-In the end, he says: "We Czechs are very proud people, my friend" (At least I hope it does, I used translate).**_


	31. Chapter 31

It didn't take long for Smoke and Neptune to arrive at the library; and when they did, they found everyone sitting on the furthest table possible; away from any of the small number of students who used the library on the mornings. In the end, team KHTE was sitting on one side and everyone else had pulled chairs from other tables to sit at the other.

The instructions were clear. All the huntsmen in training could ask any questions and the members of KHTE would answer truthfully but would retain details they deemed too compromising. When they felt satisfied, they would then keep what they heard a secret for the rest of their lives. With all that set, Yang asked the first question. "Who are you guys? And I mean who you really are".

Kuai Liang then closed his eyes and took a deep breath before starting. "First of all, Hanzo and Tomas' names are real. Unlike them, my first name is real but Xue is not my family name; I don't have one. And Ermac… Jerrod IS a name related to him, but for as long as he has lived, Ermac has been his only name. As for who we are… Tomas, Hanzo, and I are professional assassins from old and powerful clans. Tomas and I come from the Lin Kuei clan, Hanzo comes from a former rival one called the Shirai Ryu. Through events in his life, Ermac turned from an enemy to a valuable ally".

Yang seemed satisfied, but Neptune was not. "On that note, who and what is Ermac?".

The other three ninjas went silent as the masked one looked around first and then closed his eyes. Immediately after, he opened them again and it showed the same glow it did last night. "We are Ermac. We are the fusion of the souls of dead warriors created by a warlord from Outworld called Shao Kahn to obey him without a question. We served as his enforcer for many years, until a battle with a sorcerer freed us from his control and awakened our perception of the world that surrounds us. To attain from our past sins, we now fight alongside the warriors from Earth".

That answer left Neptune still processing everything he heard. In the meantime, Ruby kept the questions coming. "You keep mentioning places like 'Earth', 'Orderrealm', 'Seido' and now 'Outworld'. What are those places?".

It was now Hanzo who decided to answer. "Do not think of them as places. But as worlds or divisions of the same reality that we refer to as 'realms'". Although everyone seemed confused, Hanzo kept going. "Tomas, Kuai Liang, and I come from one realm called Earthrealm; although, because not many know about the other realms, we refer to it as just 'Earth'. Ermac was created in another realm, Outworld; but most of the souls that conform him come from another realm called Edenia; and Seido is the same Orderrealm, sometimes referred to as 'The Realm of Order'. Truth be told, many, even countless realms make up our reality, but only six of them seem to be of primordial importance; they are Earthrealm, the Netherrealm, Outworld, Chaosrealm, Orderrealm, and Edenia".

Picking up on what Hanzo just explained, Ren decided to ask a question himself. "So… are we in one of those smaller realms?".

"At first, you'd think that" answered Tomas. "But we come from different realities for that to happen. Allow me to explain". He then stood up and grabbed two books; he then opened one of them and grabbed a single page. "This page here is one of our realms; let's say Earthrealm, while this other page is… Outworld and so on". He then closed and raised the book. "All these realms coexist at the same time inside this reality. Remnant, however," he said while grabbing the second book, "Lies within this reality".

Ren seemed to understand, but a follow up immediately came to his mind. "Then… are there other 'realms' within our reality!?".

"It is a possibility" Sub Zero answered. "But we are not sure of how or even if we want to reach them at all. As far as we know, we can only enter Remnant".

That was quickly followed by Weiss's question. "Speaking of which, how did you get here?".

Hanzo answered. "That… is something we do not yet know…". Everyone then looked with concern at him. "Months ago, earthquakes were felt on all the realms at the same time. After some time passed, we discovered that literal tears appeared on thin air all throughout our ally realms. At first, we thought they were few, but as time went by, we found more. We discovered that to close them you need a powerful energy release, but when the gods began to feel people and energies disappearing, we discovered that the tears can be turned into portals. None the less, as Smoke explained, they all lead to Remnant".

Everyone considered what Hanzo had said, but only Jaune caught an interesting detail. "Did you say… gods?".

When Jaune asked that, all ninjas then noticed that slip-up. "Indeed" Ermac began to explain. "Fighting this threat with us are two elemental gods. Over them, there are the Elder Gods; the keepers of reality".

Jaune then asked another question immediately. "Are there more of you guys?".

All ninjas looked at each other before Kuai Liang answered. "There are but we will not discuss their identities, locations, and missions!".

"You said Seido are your enemies; so why are you wearing the same symbol as they are?".

All ninjas then took their medallions out of their shirts and Tomas answered. "This is the mark of the Elder Gods. A powerful symbol on all the realms for both the forces of good and evil. We do not know what kind of purpose they serve for Seido and the Tekunin, but it holds an aging spell for us".

"Hold it! Aging spell!?" asked Ruby.

"Would you believe us if we told you we are actually well in our forties?" Tomas then asked with humor. All the teens then looked with disbelief at them. "Well… Except for Ermac, that is".

"We stopped counting after ten thousand".

Jaune was the first to come out of their disbelief as he quickly stood up and pointed at the others. "Ha! I knew it! They were using things to become younger!".

With that, Yang was the second one to return. "Hold it! You two were the guys at Junior's that day, weren't you!?". She exclaimed while pointing at Sub Zero and Hanzo.

They at first looked confused, but then Hanzo turned and looked at Kuai Liang. "You were right, there was someone there that day".

With that out of the way, Ruby asked another question that came to her mind. "You said that other realms in our reality were not accessible. But aren't you able to move around with portals like last night?".

"Mind you, we do not create portals" answered Tomas. "I can try to explain the logic, though. A being with an affinity for magic can create a portal to another realm, but he must also be aware of where in that other realm he or she is creating the portal to, meaning that individuals must have some sort of connection to the other realm; and before you ask, we use a portal born of reverse engineering; science, not magic. We require precise coordinates to use it properly".

While Ruby seemed pleased with that answer, Ren now had another question coming. "Do you have any idea of what Seido is after in here?".

Ermac let out a sigh. "We do not. If we are being honest, they are not behaving like they normally do at all". Everyone then looked at Ermac, curiosity more than evident in their eyes. "Orderrealm is a secular realm; they do not interfere with matters in other realms just as they are not interested in others helping them. They even stopped any kind of diplomatic relations with the few realms they interacted with some time ago. Their new relationship with the Tekunin is also most troubling…".

"Tekunin this, Tekunin that, what ARE the Tukunin!?" Nora asked.

While all ninjas seemed troubled by that question, Ermac and Hanzo looked at Kuai Liang and Tomas with eyes that said, 'You know you have to take this one'. It was Kuai Liang who answered first. "Our clan, the Lin Kuei… had a grandmaster… to prevent insubordination and increase the success rate and profits, he proposed a process called the 'cyber initiative'. In it, members of the clan would be turned into cyborgs, loyal only to the Lin Kuei, and by extent, the grandmaster".

Everyone looked concerned, but Blake quickly asked a follow-up. "But… you said you are still a Lin Kuei, so…?".

"Kuai Liang and I refused to join the initiative when our time came" Smoke quickly answered. "We instead followed up on…" he trailed off as he looked at Hanzo for a moment. "… a lead for… a… mission, you could say. Kuai Liang managed to escape, but I was captured and turned". Before anyone could ask for specifications – as he clearly saw more than one of them wanted to do – he then added "we'll get to that later. Anyway, the point is that the grandmaster's plan backfired. He had a son called Sektor, and let's just say he had serious father issues that led him to kill the grandmaster and take over the Lin Kuei. Some years later, we arrive to take the clan back and turn it into a force for good. We thought Sektor was dead, but we underestimated him. In the end, he was rescued by some of the remaining cyber-Lin Kuei and moved over to Japan to establish his new clan: The Tekunin".

They had their explanation, but Weiss was not going to let that information bomb go away. "You are a robot!?".

Surprisingly, it wasn't Tomas who answered, but Neptune. "WAS, Weiss. A sorcerer remade his old body after he died and was later brought back to life". The looks of disbelief on the others made Neptune feel uncomfortable. "What? He told me!".

Weiss then gave him a condescending look. "Really? You expect us to belief Tomas died and then came back?".

"Yeah, it happened," Smoke said nonchalantly as the other members of his team nodded in agreement. Everyone then looked at him again. "We all have, in fact. Ermac goes without saying, a psycho woman killed Kuai Liang and me, and… let's not bring up Hanzo, ok?".

The revelation that they came back from the dead was more than what they expected to learn today, so no one asked for details on a subject that was obviously overly sensitive. Nonetheless, Jaune asked another question. "What is this 'Japan' you mentioned?".

"Oh, that must be another of the kingdoms from the realm they come from! Tomas said he is from… Checkstosolvakia or something".

"Czechoslovakia, or _Československo_ if you want to be more precise. And even then, it's _Česká Republika_ nowadays. But you are right, it's another country".

Liking this new and more light-hearted questions, Nora continued. "Oh, like the kingdoms. How many are there?".

For the first time that morning, the ninjas were the ones who looked confused, and Hanzo, Tomas, and Kuai Liang seemed to be making mental notes and counting with their fingers. "Not taking into account unofficial ones… close to two hundred, I think?".

Silence fell upon the table again. "Two hundred!?" asked a surprised Ren. "How?".

"Different languages, history. There were many factors" Hanzo answered casually.

"So… are you all from the same place?" Yang said while pointing at them.

"_Nihonjin desu_," Hanzo said.

"_Zhōngguó rén_" Kuai Liang said soon after.

"_Česky, jak jsem řekl_" Finished Tomas.

Ermac looked at the confusion on the teens' faces before speaking again. "DO not worry, the other realms… or almost all of them have a single equivalent to a nation".

Before things got further out of hand, Weiss decided to instead keep asking about the Tekunin. "Ok, so we have established that Seido and the Tekunin are bad, but how bad?".

"That is something we do not know" answered Kuai Liang. "As we said, their cooperation makes no sense to us. The information you hold, however, could help clear things".

That statement brought made everyone remember the scrolls with the information. All huntsmen then looked at Yang who then pulled them out of her bag, placed them on the table, and threw them towards Ermac who stopped them with his telekinesis and then made them float. "I must warn you, some of the files are corrupted," Yang said.

"Do not worry, we have our own methods for recovery" a now confident Tomas told her as they then stored the scrolls on Hanzo's bag.

With that out of the way, the ninjas stood up and bowed to the huntsmen. "Once again, we thank you for your help".

"No, thank you for trusting us with your secret" Ruby then happily answered.

Tomas then looked in Jaune's direction. "And do not worry, Jaune. We will help her".

Hanzo spoke soon after. "And hopefully, when this is all done, you will not have to worry about us or our enemies ever again".

After that, the ninjas left the table towards some hidden bookshelves while all the huntsmen in training headed to the main doors and the cafeteria.

* * *

"Hard to believe what they told us, isn't it?" Nora asked the table before taking a piece of a pancake to her mouth.

Weiss swallowed her food before answering. "For the first time, I have to agree with Nora; some of their explanations were really outlandish, but I don't feel like they are false either".

Everyone then nodded as they kept eating their breakfast. Their final interaction with the ninjas was the last thing they would do against Seido; and the fact that KHTE was not eating breakfast with the other students was proof enough that they were already working on how to use their new information. Waiting was not something RWBY, JNR, and Neptune liked to do right now, but it was the best they could do.

They also felt comfortable implying what just happened to them as every table was, as expected, talking about Cardin. Surprisingly, many students went to offer their concerns and condolences to the other members of CRDL, who were clearly still worried about what happened to their leader.

The conversations quickly changed once everyone started to notice a man in a dark green suit and fedora, followed by uniformed police officers, enter the cafeteria, and asking where Sky, Russel, and Dove were. Once they arrived at the teens' table, however, they just stood still.

"Are you Dove Bronzewing, Russel Thrush, and Sky Lark, boys?". The older man asked.

"Yes sir…" Sky answered with a hint of fear.

"Detective Raymond Maint, Vale PD" the man answered.

The faces of all three teens then lightened up. "Are you here about Cardin? Have you found anything?" Russel asked as he stood up from his chair.

"Oh, yes. Yes, we have. Take them away boys!". The happiness quickly turned into confusion and panic as the rest of team CRDL were then handcuffed. "Sky Lark, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of Cardin Winchester! You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to…" detective Maint kept saying, but everyone was now just appalled by what they were hearing.

"What are you talking about!?" Dove yelled to the detective. "It wasn't us; it was-!".

"That so-called 'Elsa Ardel' doesn't exist on public records or in the database of local universities or designing companies, so you better watch your tone unless you want to be charged with trying to deter an ongoing investigation!"

"But we are innocent!" Dove insisted. "You have no proof of us being there!"

"Can it, punk" the detective shouted back. "We do have evidence: The owner has no record of a woman like you described living on his building, we have data of all of you getting to Vale at the same time, witnesses on the neighborhood mention four teenage boys entering the building and the owner gave a perfect description of you three".

Russel then managed to get the man's attention. "We were with-".

"The other students? You brought them back to the crime scene to clean your hands and act innocent".

"But-but… why would we-?" Sky tried to reason but was cut-off by the detective again.

"Three out of four school bullies discover that they need more than the fear to graduate from a prestigious institution like Beacon while the last one doesn't care; you are humiliated by him with each passing day by having your leader, of all things; but not only is he dragging you all down, he is at risk of being expelled and has therefore become more hostile towards you with each passing day, a bit more with every hour until you all finally snap" the detective explained. "I've said enough, take them away boys!".

As the rest of team CRDL were being dragged away, all other students began to whisper among themselves. The now arrested students, however, yelled while insisting on their innocence until they saw Jaune, Yang, Weiss, and Nora.

"Arc! Xiao Long! All you guys, please help us! You know what happened! You know we didn't do anything!" were the last things Dove said as they all left the cafeteria.

During the final moments of the commotion, RWBY, JNR and Neptune left the building as well and regrouped on the outside. "What was all that about!?" Yang wasted no time asking all else.

After a moment, an idea then came to Jaune. "Maybe it's like the Malachite twin said: Seido has eyes and ears on the police, someone could have told them!".

That seemed to have convinced almost everyone present, but only Weiss offered a different explanation. "Then how come they did not go to look for us?". When everyone then looked confused towards what she said, Weiss elaborated: "As Dove said, we were there that night with Tomas, but only they were taken. That detective didn't even bother asking for us or Tomas". All former conspirators were now getting her point.

"Are you suggesting they were set up?" Neptune asked.

That made Blake have the realization by herself. "They would get the blame for Cardin's death; the problem is he didn't die".

"Yeah, but my guess is that it is already too late to stop the coverup" Ren pointed out.

After that, they were all concerned about what would happen to Sky and the others, but only Nora noticed something else. "But if Cardin didn't die… what will happen if he wakes up?".

That realization then came over everyone else. "I can't believe I'm saying this" Jaune began to say. "But we need to keep him safe! After all, we've seen, I don't think that sending an assassin is out their possibilities".

His intentions, however, were blocked by Weiss once again. "And how would we do it? We tell Ozpin, he'll want to know how we know, and we'll be forced to tell the truth about KHTE; and even if he doesn't believe us now, he will once Cardin… you know".

"But we can't just let him at the mercy of Seido, Weiss!".

"Guys!" Ruby yelled calling for everyone's attention. "What if we tell KHTE?".

That… made sense. The answer was so obvious, yet no one thought about it. Yang, however, spoiled the idea. "We don't know where they are Rubes!".

"Not now, but they are still students! We don't even need to be all together, just a few of us are enough to warn them. Besides, we DO know where they are or are most likely to be, we only need a small group to tell them about what happened". Everyone seemed on board with Ruby's plan, but just as they were getting ready to decide who was going to the bathroom, Ruby received a message on her scroll. "Strange, I only have it ring when…" she began saying before she gasped loudly.

"Ruby, what's wrong!?" a concerned Neptune asked. She merely showed them the screen of her scroll. A message from Penny:

_'I know what the code does, meet me at the edge of the Emerald Forrest in half an hour'._

More than relief for Penny finally reporting back, they felt afraid that another person knew about Seido in some way.

"Ruby! You need you to make Penny stay away from this!" Weiss told her partner.

"No duh!" the young girl responded back as a plan was forming on her head. "Neptune, go back to the dormitory and watch over Sun, I need two of you to come with me to meet Penny, the rest will look for team KHTE; is that clear?". Everyone just nodded. "Good! Then let's move already!" she told them as she pointed towards the courtyard, indicating them to run.

They all did, and as they got separated on the different paths, no one noticed the Atlesian Bullheads that were circulating Beacon's airspace.

* * *

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

* * *

**In the conversation, the ninjas said:**

**_"I am Japanese"._**

**_"Chinese"_**

**_"Czech, as I said"._**


	32. Chapter 32

"You called, Mr. Taakoizu?" Maurice asked as he slowly opened the door to the Dragon Room and finding his boss checking the information on his computer screen while Ryu sat at the meeting table.

Hotaru did not look away, however, as he began to talk. "Maurice, come here. I have an important job for you".

The faunus' ears were now pointing at Hotaru's direction as he then moved to stand next to Ryu. Once the other man gave him an approving grunt, Maurice then went to stand in front of his boss' desk. "I am here to serve," he said as he bowed.

Hotaru then stopped what he was doing and went to retrieve a folder from his bookcase on the right. "As you know, Sun Wukong was sent to The Pyramid yesterday," he told Maurice.

"Yes sir… I am aware of it…" the mouse faunus said back, clearly holding back his anger.

"During the evening there was an altercation. Someone arrived demanding to see Sun, he turned violent and was properly taken out of the facilities; but we fear he might try to harass other businesses associated with us". As Hotaru finished, he then pulled out a picture of Neptune being taken to the door by two security guards. A well-doctored image of the teen's fight with the Tekunin cyborg. "Do you have any idea of who this person might be?".

Maurice obviously knew who Neptune was, but other things were bothering him about this situation. "Sir… how did this man get to The Pyramid so fast?".

"It's not something you should be concerned with. Now, do you recognize this person or not?".

"But sir, I-".

Maurice tried to explain his concern, but before he could finish the question, Hotaru had already pulled out a small remote control which he then pointed at Maurice. Any questions about the inconsistencies he found were quickly eliminated. "I told you not to worry, now answer my question!".

"Yes sir! He was presented to me by Sun under the name 'Neptune'. He never mentioned his last name".

"Really?" Hotaru asked with interest. "Could you tell me anything else?".

"Yes sir… I believe their relationship is… relationship-ship-ship-shi-shi-Shi-SHIIIIIIIIIIII-!" Maurice said as his voice began to sound more mechanical and got stuck while getting louder. After some adjustments from Hotaru on his remote control, Maurice seemed to have returned to his senses. "IIIIIIIP! … is… romantic!" he said the last part with indignation.

"Interesting…" was all his boss said in return. "Maurice, I want you to find out as much of his personal life at Heaven as you can. I will also schedule an appointment with Dr. Oniro for you after lunch. That would be all".

Slightly confused, but not sure as to why Maurice bowed once again and then left the Dragon Room. On his way, he found the staff of the kitchen chatting among themselves, being closest to Cyan and Pinky, he then decided to chat with them before they were ordered to return to their posts.

"So, Maurice, what does the big-boss want to know?" Cyan asked in a cheerful mood.

Maurice analyzed the situation and deduced that the higher-ups' intentions of finding out Neptune's identity would not be jeopardized if he revealed the reason why the employees were called to the members of his inner circle.

"Apparently, Sun's boyfriend caused a scene last night in The Pyramid and they want to make sure all businesses are aware of him if he tries to cause trouble".

"Boyfriend?" Cyan asked surprised. "You sure? He never mentioned a boyfriend. I know he wanted to hit on someone though, and he doesn't have a 'fuck-buddies' vibe".

"Well, it turns out that is the kind of person he is, Cyan!". Maurice snapped back.

The deer-faunus was shocked for a moment before Pinky spoke on his defense. "Easy, Maurice. We never told Cyan about the other night".

"The other night… oh yeah!" Cyan said while snapping his fingers. "I remember a blue-haired boy!".

"Yeah, that was 'Neptune' his 'partner'!" Maurice said with irritation.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait… did you say 'Partner?'" Cyan asked.

"Yeah… that is how Sun presented him" the mouse faunus answered back now with a little concern.

"And he is also a student from Heaven?".

"Yes…?" Maurice then said not knowing where Cyan was getting to.

"Oh!" Pinky then exclaimed. "I think we got it all wrong, little buddy".

"Wrong? Got what wrong!?" asked a now spooked Maurice.

Cyan just chuckled before answering. "Oh Maurice, you are so old fashioned… but nowadays when you talk about 'partners' they mean it just as in the huntsman context". Maurice did not answer, he just looked at Cyan, still confused. "You know, in the academies, huntsmen get divided into teams and in those teams, two people are set as partners until their school life ends; now whatever happens between those two partners I don't know, but I can tell you this 'Neptune' fellow does not fit Sun's criteria".

From all of what Cyan explained only one thing got through Maurice: The meaning of 'Partner'. And if he got that wrong, then he had just sent Sun to The Pyramid to… 'The Pyramid… he will be corrected in The Pyramid' he told himself. 'But… what do they do in-' he began to think about it but then images of saws, blood, drugs, and chemicals began to rush into his mind.

"Maurice!" the voice of Pinky yelled, bringing the mouse faunus out of his flashbacks. "You ok? You seemed to suddenly have a stroke".

"A… stroke?" Maurice asked.

"Yeah" Cyan answered. "You grabbed your head and suddenly your eyes began to twitch. Is everything ok?".

Before he could answer, Mr. Onyx's voice came from behind Pinky. "Mr. Feta, Lord Hotaru says Dr. Oniro is busy in the afternoon, so your checkup needs to be right now".

To everyone else, Maurice just looked confused. In his head, however, a large portion of Maurice's processor was thinking about what happened to him while the other began to slowly work on answering the request. "Yes!" Maurice screamed, making all other employees look at him. After a moment, they went back to their own business and Maurice continued. "I'll go there… now!" he said as he began to walk away completely raising his feet in a ninety-degree angle and not bending the knees.

"…What's up with him?" Mr. Onyx said as soon as Maurice was out of hearing range. The other faunus present shrugged in confusion.

In the meanwhile, up in the Dragon Room, Hotaru and Ryu were looking at his computer which was showing a message of error over Maurice's profile picture.

"Hormones are still our main concern with rodent kind faunus," Hotaru told Ryu. "Fortunately, the Grandmaster has finally found the chemical balance needed to control the remaining amphibian kind. Overall, I think the plan is working". When Hotaru was done, knocks were heard from the other side of the door. "We should only let five more in just to keep up appearances".

* * *

"Well… there she is…" Yang whispered to both Jaune and Ruby while all three of them hid behind the doorframe that led towards the cliff of the Emerald Forest, looking at Penny who didn't seem to be aware of them.

"Ok, everyone remembers the rules?" Ruby asked them.

Jaune went first. "Make her tell us what she figured out first".

"Never mention the ninjas at all" Yang then said.

"Or Seido, as a matter of fact".

"Act surprised as to what she tells us".

"And, if possible, play it as just something out of a game or something".

"Good!" Noted Ruby, taking a deep breath, and marching towards Penny with the two blonds following close behind.

After a moment, the redhead finally noticed the three people getting closer. Once they were close enough, her energetic smile returned. "Hello, Ruby… and friends! Ruby and friends!". At first, that just seemed like the usual overenthusiastic girl they knew; but there was something off. "Why aren't you with your teams?" Penny then asked Ruby when she noticed Jaune once again.

"They are busy doing other things, don't worry about them!" Ruby quickly answered.

While the younger girl chattered with her friend, however, Yang and Jaune stood a few feet away and talked to each other in whispers. "Weird" Yang pointed out. "She knows we are the ones who asked for help, why would she want to know about the others?".

Jaune considered that for a moment and then another thought popped into his head. "And why would she want to talk to us here?".

That raised Yang's attention. "What do you mean?".

"We are discussing a computer program yet there are no computers. Besides, the Malachite twin from the other night pointed out that meetings like this happen in public but secluded places. Even… 'they' talked to us in the library".

It might have just been the paranoia, but some of Tomas' deduction skills from last night seemed to have taken over Yang's thoughts for the moment. She then looked around the clearing and noticed the trees and rocks on one side while the cliff was on the other. "You don't think…?".

"So!" Ruby said loudly, making Jaune and Yang look at the other girl. "You told me you knew what the code was about?".

"Yes! Sure!" She exclaimed loudly, but her body movement was very contained. "I just need to get it from my bag over there!" she then said while pointing at a tree away from them. Penny then ran towards it, but when Ruby tried to follow, the girl quickly turned around. "No, no, no; don't worry, I'll get it".

While Ruby was confused about what just happened, Yang and Jaune went into full panic mode. "Ruby!" Yang said loud enough for her sister to hear. "We have to get out of here now!".

"But what about-?" she tried to ask but was immediately cut off by Jaune.

"Rubes, there are no computers here, she is getting far away from us and we are in a clearing with nowhere to hide!".

Ruby didn't want to believe them, but then she began to look around and noticed everything as well; but just as they were getting ready to run, Atlas military robots emerged from behind the rocks and from the trees while pointing at them with their guns.

"Ok… it's just dumb robots… if we can distract them for long enough, maybe we can call for our lockers!" Yang told the others, but her excitement was immediately cut short when a loud engine sound came from the cliff and a bullhead filled with soldiers pointed its mounted guns towards them.

"Oh boy…" Jaune said as they were all being taken into custody.

* * *

Jaune and Ruby walked at the same pace the altesian soldiers were going while their hands were tied behind their backs. Only Yang was screaming at them. "We haven't done anything! You don't know who you are messing with! Oh, trust me guys when we tell a SCHNEE about how you've treated us, you'll be lucky to work as street performers!".

Seemingly tired of Yang's constant threats, one of the soldiers finally answered back. "Really? How so?".

"Because we just so happen to know-" Yang snapped back with a smug tone only to stop immediately when they turned a corner and found themselves in front of Weiss herself. "Weiss! Oh, thank goodness. Could you tell these jerks to-".

"Yang!" Jaune yelled at the other blond.

"What!?" Yang snapped back only for him and Ruby to point downwards with their heads towards Weiss' hands. When she looked down, she was surprised to find they were cuffed as well. "But… how? Isn't your sister-".

"Who do you think arrested her!?" an older female voice said and was soon followed by a cuffed Blake, Ren, and Nora being pushed by what Yang could describe as an older Weiss with a face that showed rage and disappointment towards Weiss. "You all have a lot to answer for!".

"Winter, you don't understand-".

"Enough Weiss! If you know what is good for you, you'll be quiet until asked to talk!" Winter stated as she then took everyone to an interrogation room.

"You can't do this to us!" Blake snapped back as they were all seated. "Just who do think you are!?".

"Specialist Winter Schnee," a new male and even older voice said arriving from the main door. "And it was done to protect Remnant from whatever you were doing!" said General Ironwood once he arrived with the others.

That statement caused confusion. They were students; what could they possibly do that was so bad?

"I'm sorry, but whaaaaat!?" Nora asked.

"Don't play the fool!" he snapped at her. "We know of the inhuman things you do to turn faunus into slaves!".

"Are you listening to yourself? What are you… no… the code…" Yang said figuring out what they were thinking. "No, no, no, no; you have it all wrong! We have nothing to do with it!" she tried to reason.

"General Ironwood, sir!" a new guard carrying Neptune said as he arrived. "We arrived just in time, they already had a monkey faunus drugged with the chemicals you listed and seemed to be ready to process!".

"Process? What!?" Jaune asked with panic as every passing second seemed to turn everything worse for them.

"Cut the idiot act!" Winter then snapped at them. "We don't know why you were so stupid as to give Penny those codes, but be sure we will get to the bottom of things once-".

"JAAAAAMES!" a familiar voice to all students said as metal doors swung open allowing Ozpin and Glynda to arrive. "Behind the glass! Now!".

While everyone but the guards left for the room behind the one-way mirror, Glynda stopped and looked at all the students. "Don't think for a moment you are out of this!" she told them before she entered and slammed the door shut. On the other room, Ozpin and Ironwood were already seated.

"Oz, I trust you, but-" Ironwood began to explain only to be interrupted by Ozpin who raised a finger. He was not sure as to why he did that until he then saw the Branwen twins entering the room. Ironwood was on good terms with Qrow, but as soon as he saw Raven, he prepared his guns and pointed them at the former thief.

Raven did not flinch, however; she seemed amused, actually. "Jimmy! Long time no see. Still the paranoid stick in the mud I see".

Ironwood ignored her comment and just looked at Ozpin. "First I learn that your students own inhuman technology, then that you are telling me that 'a reliable source' is telling you to ignore the firepower that Seido can give us to defeat Salem, only to learn that SHE is back! What is going on OZ!?".

While normally the voice of reason when Ironwood went into this state, Ozpin was now angry at how he had handled the events. "They asked for your student's help to decipher that code, so how would they be able to use it let alone know what it does! Second, Raven has seen and heard what Seido Industries is really looking for, and I suggest-".

"Are you listening to yourself!? A traitor, Oz! A possible end to Salem is halted because of a traitor!?".

After that statement, Qrow felt that his sister was trash-talked enough. "James, back off! I know it's hard to believe but I feel like she is telling the truth. She-".

"What is she doing here!?" Raven asked, showing fear for the first time that day when she saw Yang through the glass.

Qrow seemed concerned about his sister's reaction until he saw both of his nieces. "Oz, what the hell are they doing here!? You never mentioned they were the students!".

"Everyone! Enough!" then yelled Winter, effectively making everyone go silent.

"Can't say I missed her too" Raven then whispered to her brother.

"General Ironwood, sir, I agree with the headmaster; while it is suspicious that the students owned that program, we must also remember our actual targets!".

* * *

While Ozpin could not say that Raven's arrival was enough to ruin his week, discovering that the powers of the Spring Maiden were now hers, that Seido Industries was actually a coverup for some sort of alien magical force bent on conquering Remnant, and that they were attacked by forces likely connected to Salem did just that. Still, he wanted nothing but to at least keep her on his radar. Things just kept rolling downhill, however, when soon after the attack on Seido's headquarters he received a surprise call from Ironwood. "James! To what do I owe-".

"Oz, your students better not be doing what I think they are with your consent, or so help me I'll remove you by any means!" the other man threatened.

Clearly not expecting what just happened, Ozpin asked back a question of his own. "James… what are you talking about?".

"One of my… students just informed me of something some of yours seem to be involved with; now answer me what it is!".

"James, I don't have the slightest idea of what you are talking about, and I have far more things to worry about than pointless accusations" Ozpin answered as calmly as he could. "Now what is it that my students seem to be doing that warrants you to act in this way?". Ozpin then made the mistake of taking a sip of coffee at that moment.

"Would drugging, lobotomizing, butchering, and rebuilding faunus as machines be worthy enough!?".

Ozpin coughed for a moment, not expecting that answer. "James, what are you-?".

Shortly after, Ironwood had sent Ozpin three folders. "Try opening something from the first one," the General said, Ozpin tried, but nothing happened. "My student was given those files by one of yours. No normal computer seems able to read them. Now try the second". Ozpin did, and while he had acquired knowledge of programming languages from past lives, the ones on these files were unlike anything he had ever seen. "I know you can't read them. Now try the third". Indeed, the final one did the trick. Ozpin did not get what every line of code was for, but he had a general understanding: measuring the levels of foreign chemicals in the body, reconnecting nerves, replacing brain parts with motherboards, and more; truly, it was a nightmare to read.

Ozpin was speechless. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought about this. Sure, prosthetics existed, but he had never seen anything so vile. "James, I understand your concern, but I can assure you I have nothing to do with this!".

Ironwood then looked at Ozpin for a long time, and when he seemed sure that the other headmaster was telling the truth, he spoke again. "I trust you Oz".

Ozpin then placed his mug down. "And you are right. We need to get to the bottom of this!".

"Good, I'll be arriving in a few-" General Ironwood tried to explain his plan but was interrupted when his door was busted open.

"General Ironwood, sir, I tried to stop her, but-". The voice of Winter said before being interrupted by a younger female voice that Ozpin was unable to see.

"Can it, snow-flake! General Ironwood, sir, as I tried to tell your SECRETARY…".

"Secre… How dare-!?".

"I believe my team has a good idea of where the new crime syndicate will attack sir!".

"Please, those are mere speculations at best; and I already told you, you are way too young for a mission of that kind! And if you want to remain in this institution, you better address me with respect!".

"You are not a member of faculty or administration, you assist the General on his military duties which are completely independent of his role as headmaster; therefore you have no kind of authority over me and my already approved clearances to speak with the General, so I suggest you take your attitude, put it in a nice can, and shove it up your-!".

"LADIES!" Ironwood yelled at them. they, in turn, looked at him. "I'm in the middle of something important. Blade is right Winter, she was scheduled to speak with me but something came up, and as for you, student, Winter Schnee might not be on your chain of command but she still deserves your respect, and if you ever speak to her that way again be sure there will be consequences! You both got that!?".

Everything went quiet until Ozpin was able to hear a "Yes sir!" at the same time from both women.

"Good! Now leave my office and I'll tell you when to come in Blade. Dismissed!". When the door finally closed, General Ironwood let out a heavy sigh. He then remembered Ozpin was still on the call. "Sorry about that… there are these new students, and even though they are good, their team leader is really looking into a new criminal organization and insists on taking on them herself".

The hostility from the beginning seemed to have passed, and Ozpin decided to keep going with it. "I can relate, actually. Although, my problems don't come from the new students, rather things regarding Salem and… other things. The new students are actually great, very well trained to be just first years though".

"I know what you mean. Carlton, Briggs, Takahashi, and Blade are good students too. Extraordinarily strong as well. Some weird Bootcamp instructor from Vacuo presented them to us. He seemed sketchy at first, but he then showed up with proof of his small school in the desert. Can you believe it?".

Ozpin could, actually. "You don't say… and this man… was he tanned with white hair?".

Ironwood then looked at Ozpin with shock. "Yes… Mr. Anemos fits that description".

"Anemos? Ok… and how did they do on their written tests? Mine could identify some Grimm and they did just fine on their other tests".

With that, Ironwood seemed to be catching on to Ozpin's suspicions. "Mine too… If anything, other teachers told me the thing they needed the most help with was-".

"Orthography?" Ozpin asked. Ironwood then looked with shock at Ozpin, unable to believe the other just read his mind. "They spell words with a 'K' instead of a 'C' don't they?".

"… Where are you getting to Oz?".

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me… the last thing I need now is to learn that students are part of a new great conspiracy besides what I have to deal with Seido!".

At first, Ironwood was confused, then he remembered the news about the attack. "Right; sorry Oz, forgot about that. Got any new leads?".

"Not for now, although I wouldn't feel too comfortable around them James".

"What are you talking about Oz? They must have shown you their ideas. I was convinced you would be ecstatic to receive their help. I only said no waiting for your official approval! What could possibly make you not trust them?".

Ozpin then let out a sigh. "They know, James".

"… What do you mean by 'They know'?".

"They know about me, the actual me, and I'm sure they are close to knowing about Salem" Ozpin explained.

"Did they tell you this?" Ironwood asked with a hint of concern as Ozpin just nodded. "And they didn't do anything to manipulate you?". Ozpin shook his head. "Then I don't see a reason as to why we shouldn't trust them! With their resources and public image, we can weaken Salem like never before!".

Ozpin did not want to have this conversation right now. He knew Ironwood would jump over to the first chance he got to fight Salem head-on, but he knew he had to tell the other headmasters about the threat that was Seido Industries. "I did not want to do this right now, but James, please listen to me carefully, I have reliable sources that tell me that Seido Industries are far from what they show".

General Ironwood did not hide his indignation about having been kept in the dark. "For how long?".

"A few days" Ozpin admitted.

"And who could have possibly given you this vital information that you won't question it?".

Ozpin was trying to find the right words to explain, but destiny played cards against him as both Glynda and Raven entered the room.

"Yo! Oz! would you please tell your assistant that a beach house is not out of our deal? … Hey! You there?". While at first Raven was confused as to why Ozpin suddenly went stiff; she then noticed he was having a video call with one of her former sworn enemies. "Oh… great… hello, James…".

* * *

"I will need more proof other than Raven's word that it is actually Seido who are behind that robot making process". Ironwood said from his side of the table while crossing his arms.

Qrow then decided to intervene. "And why would you need more than that? Why do you trust that Penny girl more than Raven?".

"Because Qrow, Penny did not run away one day leaving everything behind, breaking our trust, and actively trying to undermine our actions against Salem! And I can also check her activities, and when she says three of those children over there gave her those codes, I am more than sure that she is telling the truth".

The mention of that name scared all the members of Beacon present who checked that the teens had not heard that name. Glynda then turned and frowned at Raven; the latter who understood what the other wanted her to do.

Raven sighed and then placed her hands on the table. "Fiiiiine. James, Winter, I am sorry for what I did; but I swear that everything I am saying about Seido is true!".

Ironwood was still not buying her tale and was ready to keep digging through what he saw as a lie until they were all distracted by a tapping on the window. Everyone turned their heads and saw Ruby knocking the glass. "Professors? Are you there?"

Glynda then moved to turn on the intercom. "Yes, Miss Rose? Is something the matter?".

"Is everything ok with the lights?" she then asked while pointing at the single lightbulb in the room that was flickering.

Confused everyone then looked at the lights in their room and noticed the same reaction. The lights then flickered faster until both lightbulbs went out and a muffled explosion was heard from somewhere outside. Seconds later, Ozpin received a distress call from Professor Oobleck. "Headmaster, third floor in the classroom building! It's an emergency".

* * *

The ninjas left the bathroom with high hopes after a long time. The information Yang and the others managed to get was excellent and would give them and the other eight kombatants a clearer idea of what Orderrealm and the Tekunin were doing in Remnant once the files were fully decoded and read.

"I have to admit: Cyrax is a most reliable ally," Hanzo told Kuai Liang and Tomas.

"He has always been an honorable warrior; my only regret is that he refuses to rejoin the Lin Kuei…" said Kuai Liang.

Although Ermac had no close relationship with the yellow cyborg, he expressed his feeling none the less. "At least he holds no grudge against you; his talents are at least not wasted on the Special Forces. Was he always so good with computers?".

"My guess is that he had to go through some of Sektor's tech maintenances. A CPU for a brain also makes things easier" then answered Smoke saying the last part with some distaste.

They stopped their conversation when they finally reached a common hall that had students going back and forth. They would have remained quiet until they reached their first classroom, but a conversation topic from different groups caught their attention.

"Do you really think the CRDL guys tried to kill Cardin?" they heard someone say.

"The teachers didn't try to stop the cops; I think that is proof enough!" Another said.

"And all because of bad grades? I mean, you guys would not do that to me, right?" a third one asked.

It didn't take them much to figure out then that the other members of team CRDL were wrongfully arrested for what happened to Cardin.

Tomas then looked at his team. "We are not going to do anything, right?".

"The sooner we bring down Orderrealm's forces, the better it will be for everyone; even the kids of CRDL" answered Kuai Liang.

They would have let that subject die had they not then heard another conversation about a completely different topic.

"I am telling you; General Ironwood is not here in good terms!" a girl told her teammates.

"How can you be so sure!?" another asked.

"My uncle works as a janitor in Atlas Academy. He says the General left the kingdom spewing orders like crazy. He has worked there long enough to know Ironwood does that when he is beyond pissed".

"Yeah, how else would you explain his sudden appearance in here?" a male student asked. "I also saw him and some Altesian soldiers grab people from some first-year teams; RWBY and JNPR I think…".

That conversation did manage to worry all the ninjas. "You don't think…?" Tomas said.

"That Ironwood might know something about what the kids know?" Hanzo completed his question.

"Let's hope not" Kuai Liang then told them. "That would be the worst thing that could happen-".

"Shhh!" Ermac then shushed everyone. Before anyone could ask what was wrong with him, Ermac pointed towards the window.

They were at first confused but then noticed the clear sky became cloudy in a matter of seconds. Then, the few lights that were turned on began to flicker faster with each passing second until everything turned white and a loud thunder boomed through the halls. Worse of all, was that a fraction of a second later they saw an explosion coming from a neighboring building.

After the explosion, students began to wonder about what had just happened. The ninjas, however, just looked at the building with eyes wide open. "By the Elder Gods, no!". Kuai Liang said out loud knowing his voice was not heard because of those from all the other people present.

Without wasting any more time, all four ninjas then ran towards the explosion site, fearing that they knew the source.

* * *

The wall and floor in that section of the hall were covered in soot. The windows broke apart and fell on the ground almost like fine dust. Thankfully, none of the students present when the lightbulb exploded were hurt; their clothes might have a small burnt mark here and there, but no permanent damage overall. All of that, however, paled when one considered that a man with long white hair, tattered clothes, and open wounds, laid on the floor facedown, seemingly unconscious. All students present made a circle around the stranger and only stepped aside when professors Oobleck, Port, and Peach arrived. Oobleck wasted no time calling the headmaster while Peach and Port went on the turn the man over.

In a matter of seconds, the man was now lying in a pool of his own blood. Once he was face up, everyone was now able to see more cuts and wounds; one of which was a deep cut under his belly that allowed them to see his exposed organs. More surprising, however, was that the man was still breathing, had a pulse, and seemed to be mumbling about something.

It took Ozpin, Ironwood, and their respective groups a couple of minutes to arrive and see Peach and Oobleck doing crowd control while Port was doing the best he could to stop the bleeding from the stranger.

"Bartholomew, what is going on!?" Ozpin asked.

"I don't know how to explain it, Headmaster; but the explosion happened and then that man appeared".

Ozpin looked at the almost dead man for a moment before talking with Oobleck once again. "Medics?".

"On their way here as we speak".

"Headmaster! Come here!" Port then said, calling Ozpin's attention. "He seems to be asking for help!".

Ozpin wasted no time and kneeled next to Port and the stranger. After a moment, Ozpin could make out that the words 'Help' and 'Beacon' were coming from the man in an endless loop. "You are at Beacon Academy. I am Professor Ozpin, who are-?".

Before Ozpin could finish his question, the man then grabbed Ozpin by his scarf and pulled it, helping him raise his torso and then look at Ozpin directly with his pure white eyes. "He has returned! … To reclaim his army… and impose his dominance! The prophecy… must not… be… fulfilled…!".

Ozpin's enforcers were ready to strike the man down but were stopped by Ozpin's hand gesture. "Who? Who has returned?".

"The… the Dragon King…" the man managed to say before coughing and then vomiting blood before falling unconscious.

"Tell the medics to hurry up and clear the students from here!" Ozpin ordered everyone; and just as Glynda was doing that, she noticed the suspicious students in question; and while everyone was horrified by what just happened, the boys seemed worried about something else. They looked at the man as if they were seeing a close relative dying.

They did not move until they noticed Glynda's cold stare towards them. It was then that they concluded that this was the worst-case scenario: Their mentor was wounded and dying, he is in stranger's hands, they have no allies close enough and now their cover might just have been blown.


End file.
